LoL (Legend of Link: Ocarina of Time)
by cruelcomplex
Summary: The King of Evil sucks and the Hero of Time is kind of an idiot.
1. Prologue

_Father—_

 _Please do not be alarmed by my sudden absence. I had to go. I can't stay here any longer. I will make wise choices and I will be back soon. Don't send for me._

 _With love,_

 _your princess_

The little blonde girl looked at her work, waving the parchment through the air. The ink was bleeding off the page. It was sloppy work, but it would do. She huffed, rolling up the parchment and tying a pink ribbon around its center. She laid the paper on her bed just as a firm voice echoed around the corridor.

The little girl hopped on top of a mahogany desk, pushing letters, books, and melted candlesticks aside. Her heart was pounding as she gingerly lifted the glass window. All seven of the windows in her circular room were open, causing the purple curtains to billow inward. Dressers, chairs, and stools were stacked in front of each one of them, and clothes were strewn messily across the floor. The girl pushed golden strands out of her eyes and groaned with effort as the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer, accompanied by the clanking of metal. _Come on, come on, almost there…_

A tall woman strode into the spacious bedroom. Her silver-gray hair was pulled tight into a ponytail at the top of her head, and her red eyes were narrow. Two soldiers followed her into the room.

"She's gone! Lady Impa, what do we do?"

The woman closed her eyes and slowly folded her arms, cursing in a foreign tongue. "I knew she was up to something," she muttered. "Get the sheikah!"

A second later, the little girl sat up and straightened out the rumples in her dress. She rolled out of the bushes, careful to make as little noise as possible. Commotion from the window above her head reached her ears but with a little luck, it would take them a few minutes to figure out where she had gone. She had never escaped this way before, after all.

The guard in front of her shifted and the girl saw an opening. Taking a deep breath, she dashed across the courtyard. Alarms were barely being raised as she shimmied through a small hole and splashed into the castle moat.

* * *

"She's run away again?" A man with an impressive belly and equally impressive gray beard stood in the doorway of his bedchambers, wearing a silk robe. His voice carried all the way through the arching stone corridor, rumbling like thunder. His round tummy shook like jelly.

"We're retracing every inch of the palace as we speak," Impa reassured him as she got off her knee, armor plated outfit gleaming in the morning light. She held out a roll of parchment. "But I believe she left this for you, your Majesty."

The King accepted the roll and untied the ribbon, weary blue eyes scanning its message. "Oh, that girl. What does she think she's doing? I told her to stay away from the market festival tonight."

"She cannot have gone far," Impa said. "She's likely headed for the festival, like you said. We will find her and bring her back safely. Have no doubt."

"I have none." The King placed the script in her hand. "I only wish that girl would listen to me more. How can I rely on her to be Queen someday when she can't even follow a few simple rules?"

"She's not queen yet, she's a princess," Impa reminded him. "And though she is mature beyond her years, she is still a child. She does not like being cooped up in the castle, sire. We will bring her back again, but I fear until she is satisfied, she will continue to run away."

The King scratched his beard, grumbling. "That girl. I bring in the finest entertainment a lass could want and in return, she runs! What about the philosophers, or the minstrels! She seemed to take a liking to them, didn't she?"

"I agree, sire," Impa said, placing her hand on her hip with a stern expression. "But your princess has different ideas of fun. She often talks about wanting to be like the 'other children.'"

"Well, she is not like the other children! She has a sacred duty to her country." The King shook his head and gruffly motioned toward Impa with his hand. "Go and find her, Impa. I've made up my mind—I will no longer tolerate this behavior. Send message to the captain to double the castle guard."

Impa dipped her head. "It won't fare well to ignore your child," she advised. "The princess also wishes that you would give heed to her visions—"

"For the last time, those visions are only dreams," the King huffed impatiently. His features strained for a moment, then slowly relaxed with a sigh. "You know Zelda. I only want the best for her. Ever since her mother passed…"

The King trailed off, a distant sadness in his light blue eyes. Impa bowed stiffly and said nothing. The King suddenly came back to his senses and scowled.

"Hurry and find her before something happens," he muttered. "I am needed in court."

Impa watched as he retreated with a slew of servants for fitting. She turned to her comrades. "Spread word to the others. We're going to search the castle town, King's orders."

* * *

The marketplace was lively as ever. Lined with houses that were crammed into alley ways and backward streets, and filled more people than anyone could keep track of, the town square was positively animated. Princess Zelda panted slightly as she walked into town, eyes trailing over her shoulder as she set foot on the scene. Her heart felt ready to leap from her ribcage. _This is amazing!_

The sky was clear blue; water gurgled from a nearby fountain as the townspeople ambled about. Smells of fresh bread and roast beef filled the air. The sound of conversation was so loud she could hardly hear herself think. She rushed into the crowd, smile lighting up her face.

No one noticed the blonde girl in a simple pink dress weaving between legs. She clutched the pouch on her hip tightly, heart racing as she bobbed over to a stand filled with fruit. _What if someone recognizes me?_

She was so involved in her thoughts she smacked right into a boy clad entirely in green. He was standing in front of the counter with the roast beef, and she nearly toppled the both of them over.

"I'm sorry," she started, turning to cover her face.

"You're a thief and a liar," the large man standing behind the counter interrupted.

"I don't have any money," the boy spluttered back. A glowing orb of blue light with wings hovered beside his head. "I didn't know!"

"You're gonna pay for that beef, brat!" He growled, waving the butcher's knife in his hand. "Come here!"

He paled. This boy couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old. Zelda scowled.

"Stop!" The next moment she found herself standing between the boy and the angry salesman with her arms out. "I—I will pay you!"

The man paused in sheer surprise. After a tense moment of silence, the butcher broke into roaring laughter. "You!?" He sniffled, wiping away tears. "You're going to pay for him? What are you two scheme'ing?!"

"It's not a scheme." Zelda quickly reached into her pouch. Her clammy fingers grasped the first rupee she could find.

Distant shouting from the edge of the crowd drew her attention. With a jolt, she recognized the spears and weapons of the castle guard. "Here!" she cried, thrusting a gold rupee onto the counter. Without another word, she grabbed the boy by the arm and darted toward the alleyway, leaving the now dumbstruck salesman to gape at his payment as they vanished from sight.

Zelda dragged her new companion into the shadow of one of the buildings. She exhaled in relief, turning around. "Looks like he's not going to follow us. Are you alright?"

Her violet-blue eyes gleamed in the light from the fairy as she waited for an answer. The boy stared, tan cheeks flushed at little. His ruddy blonde hair was messy from the collision, funny green hat askew.

"Sorry about that," she giggled, trying to shake off the feeling that she had met this boy before. She straightened his hat. "I'm, uh, hiding from someone."

He continued to stare, eyes a deep blue color. They reminded Zelda of pictures of Lake Hylia she had seen in books. The fairy flew over and whispered something in his ear and he shook his head, startled. He straightened up awkwardly. "Why'd you save me?"

She smiled sheepishly. Her short hair shone like gold. "You looked like you were in trouble. Is this your first time visiting the castle?"

At this, the life seemed to return to him and he bashfully grimaced, twisting his fingers. "Yeah, it is. The Great Deku tree sent me."

"The Great Deku tree? Did you come all the way from the Lost Woods?"

He nodded and she clapped her hands together in delight. "So that's why you're wearing green! You're a Kokiri. I don't think I've ever met a Kokiri—don't your people usually stay in the woods?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm the first one to ever leave the forest. I'm on an important mission." He frowned when she began to move away. "Hey, wait!"

She floated along the alley, drinking in the tall homes and narrow walkway. The boy trailed behind. "Where are you going!?"

She glanced at him ruefully. "Oh, I've got to hide!"

"Hide?" He trotted up to her side. "Why?"

She stopped. "Um…well, it's a long story. Promise you won't tell anyone I'm here, kay?"

He lowered his eyebrows seriously. "Why? You're not in trouble are ya?"

The door in front of them swung open suddenly. Zelda squeaked and dove behind it, leaving the boy in full view for a random stranger to come strutting out. He closed the door and wandered off. Zelda sighed in relief, leaning against the wood.

The boy was staring at her curiously. "What was that?"

 _Oops._ She wiped her brow and grinned. "Um…nothing?"

"You screamed and jumped out of the way."

"I did not scream!" She tittered at herself. "Okay. Maybe a little. I squeak."

He crouched beside her. "Well, you squeak super loud." He frowned. "You look real nervous about something. You _are_ in trouble!"

She shook her head. "I just came here to play and that's it. Hey!" She jumped up in excitement. "The festival is tonight, right?"

The boy looked mildly dazed by her enthusiasm, which was amusing to Zelda. "Uh, the festival? Well…I think so…I mean a bunch of people were talking about it in the market…"

She grasped his hands, eyes wide. "I have to go! I've never been! You've never been either, correct?"

He stared at her, this time probably because he thought she was crazy. His cheeks reddened a little. "Uhhh, no, but…"

"You should come with me!" She abruptly released his hands. "It would be so much fun!" She laughed to herself, thrilled by the idea. They could go to the shops, play in the town square, eat home-made scones—the possibilities were limitless in Zelda's mind.

"Yeah…" The boy seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden. He was back to fidgeting with his belt. Zelda noticed the hilt of a small sword sticking up over his shoulder. She realized he was wearing a shield as well. It hit her— he had said something about an important mission.

"Oh. I think I understand. You have to carry out your special duty from Great Deku Tree, don't you?" she asked the boy quietly.

He frowned, almost like he didn't want to admit it. "Sorry, it's just that it's real important that I get it to her as soon as possible…the Great Deku tree told me I had to deliver a special stone to Princess Zelda."

The little girl stood rooted to the spot, violet-blue eyes frozen in surprise. He has to see…me? _My vision! The Scared Stones…this boy must be the one I was dreaming about!_ She chewed her lip. _But…I don't want to tell him that yet. He would probably act really odd around me, like everybody else does._

She realized she was looking at the Kokiri boy strangely, so she quickly smiled. "The princess lives in the big castle on the hill, that way," she said, pointing in the general direction behind the buildings. "But…she's probably busy right now."

The boy's eyes widened. "Busy?"

She nodded fervently, feeling slightly embarrassed. She clasped her hands behind her pink dress. "Yes. Really busy. But I'll tell you what—she and I are…close friends. I bet I can get you an audience with her at the castle."

The boy looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Really!?"

 _He does seem familiar somehow. I wonder what his name is._ "Yep. But only on one condition!" She giggled, reaching for his hand.

"W-what's that?"

She smiled. "You play with me for today, until after the festival."

He slowly returned the smile. She raised her free hand and spit into her palm, outstretching it for him. "Deal?"

He glanced from her expression to her hand, surprised. His face then split into a grin and he spat into his own palm. They vigorously shook hands. "Deal!"

* * *

The sun was setting when the bustle in the marketplace really took off. Festive music poured from every corner, it seemed, and as the red sun reflected off the distant mountain range Zelda and her new friend dangled their legs over the edge of a balcony overseeing town square.

"The festivities must be starting!" Zelda gasped, bug-eyed as a hylian man stepped into the square juggling three flaming fireballs.

"Yeah. Hey, what's that mountain over there?" the boy sitting next to her asked distractedly, pointing beyond the town. Zelda glanced up.

"The one with the ring of clouds around it? That's Death Mountain." Her gaze returned to the fascinating things below her feet. "It's a volcano. Look at that, foreign dancers! Say, let's go down there, Link!"

She shook the Kokiri's arm as she quivered with excitement, stuffing the rest of the fresh pastry they'd bought in her mouth. Link's fairy companion, Navi, fluttered lazily above their heads.

"Wait, is that the castle?" Link asked, grabbing his hat as she jumbled him to his feet. Zelda paused long enough to follow his finger.

"Yep. Pretty, isn't it?"

His blue eyes went wide. "It's—it's huge! Is that where—"

"Yes, that's where the princess lives," she giggled, rolling her eyes. She took a moment to stare at the white and blue spires twirling in the distance. It did look stunning from here, though personally Zelda felt it was much duller up close. The little girl scanned the square for any guards or sheikah, nervously adjusting the mask sitting on her head. Though they had successfully played all day without getting caught, she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.

Link grinned at his sugary scone and gobbled it up while she was distracted, like he had forgotten it was there. The boy had eaten more than five. He acted like scones were the greatest discovery the world had ever made. "Hey, look, fire!" he shouted with stuffed cheeks, barely noticing what was going on in town square. Navi flew to his shoulder. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Link!"

He shrugged as Zelda abruptly gripped his arm again and dragged him down a wooden staircase. The music was getting louder, and so were the sounds of laughter and talking. The town center had cleared just around the fountain, where performers took the stage. Zelda frowned up at the crowd of much taller people when Link took the lead, grabbing her hand an weaving through legs until they reached the front. A group of actors perched on the edge of the fountain, shouting at each other. One dramatically pushed the other into the water, making the crowd cry with delight.

"What's going on?" Link looked confused. Zelda giggled.

"I think it's a play," she explained. "They pretend to be people from a story and act it out. Oh, look, it's the fire-man!"

Both children watched in awe as the man juggling fire took place of the actors and began to dance to the music with his flaming tricks. Around them, the townspeople started to clap and shout. As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, people with lanterns strung on string and colorful banners could be seen hanging lights from every corner of the town.

Link's face split into a big smile when fairies of different colors and sizes floated up into the sky above the marketplace. "Navi, look! It's just like in the Kokiri Forest!"

Zelda tore her eyes from the performers to gasp at the slowly-darkening sky. She turned to Link and Navi. "Is it really?"

He nodded, eyes lit up like the fireballs. His smile grew and he grabbed her hand. "Come on!"

The children darted over the cobblestone, laughing and avoiding castle guards. The fairies bobbed magically in the air as they went, growing in number. Link climbed on top of a crate, unstopping what appeared to be a glass bottle. Zelda gasped when he, in one fluid motion, swiped his arm and captured one of the floating orbs. He corked the bottle, holding it up to see a little pink fairy fluttering inside. She was even smaller than Navi.

"Is that okay to do?" Zelda asked breathlessly, scratching up her once-nice gown as she struggled to climb up beside Link. He helped her up.

"Yeah." Link had a proud a half-grin on his face. He handed the bottle to Zelda, who was utterly fascinated with the glowing being inside. "Fairies are really nice. If you open the bottle, the fairy will heal you."

The violet in her eleven-year old eyes was shimmering. "Really!?"

Link's smile grew as he nodded. Zelda unstopped the lid and slowly released the fairy from the bottle. The sprite fluttered in front of the girl's nose for a second before zipping around her from head to toe. Zelda laughed aloud, following the mystical being with her eyes as it flew off to rejoin the other fairies. With a grin spread from ear to ear, she looked back at Link, who had been watching her. The little Kokiri boy stared at his shoes in embarrassment.

"The Kokiri village!" Zelda could hardly contain her excitement. "Are there really fairies everywhere?"

He overcame his blush and nodded. "Yeah, and lots of other magical things, too." He turned to observe the activity of the festival. "We sing and dance kinda like this when we celebrate stuff." He jumped off the crate and rolled to his feet. Zelda hopped off and followed. "The Great Deku tree would summon lots of fairies and Saria—" He stopped without warning. Zelda stumbled into him.

She was about to ask what the matter was when she saw it—a tall, dark Gerudo man across the square, staring at them. His golden eyes were unsettling and Zelda felt eerily exposed. She shuffled behind her friend a little more.

The man then smiled politely and turned, motioning to the two women at his sides. They all disappeared into the crowd and out of sight in only a moment.

Link relaxed, turning to Zelda. "Is that the person looking for you?"

She scowled and shook her head. "No…but I don't like him, whoever he is. He creeped me out."

Navi flew up a little higher, then returned to them. "He just left the town. He's headed toward the castle."

 _That must be the visiting King my father was expecting,_ Zelda thought. She chewed her lip. A dark, uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. Her vision…

"Geez. That guy looked evil. I hope the princess will be safe," Link commented offhandedly, half-heartedly gazing in the direction of the castle. He didn't notice Zelda's heavy sigh.

"Hey, you!" A voice from their right cried out, catching both kids' attention. It was a man dressed in armor crested with the royal family's insignia, and he was rushing toward them with his spear in hand. "Hey there! Wait! Stop!"

Zelda barely registered the guard before she and Link and Navi were running, weaving in and out of the crowd until they were carried into the thick of it. The guard tried to give chase, but was not small or fast enough to follow. His cry faded into the music, "Princess!"

The three stopped to catch their breath when they were sure they'd lost him, collapsing next to a brick block with a plant in the center. Link sat on the edge of it, bright eyes searching the crowd. "That guy looked like he was going to snatch us up," he exclaimed. His eyes flew to the little girl, who cringed slightly. He didn't notice. "Why are they looking for us, anyway?"

 _He hadn't heard the guard's cry,_ Zelda realized in relief. She smiled up at him and jumped onto the brick beside him. "They must've mistaken us for somebody else," she giggled nervously. "We've done nothing wrong…but maybe we should go hide in a shop just in case."

Navi bobbed above their heads, not saying anything. Zelda hoped she hadn't heard the guard's exclamation either. She couldn't place why she so desperately wanted to keep her identity a secret from him, but she did. She couldn't go back! The festival wasn't over yet!

Link leaned back into the plant, swinging his legs and sticking his hands behind his hat. He opened his mouth to respond, but a different voice interrupted.

"Kid!"

Zelda jumped, thinking it was another guard, but a Hylian man was pointing at them from the crowd. Her eyes widened as Link sat up.

"Kid! Yeah, you. Kokiri!" Other people began to look over at them. Zelda pulled her Gerudo mask over her head and casually inched behind the brick pot as Link stared at the man. "You too, little noble girl!"

Zelda froze but Link jumped to his feet. The man beckoned them over. "Come dance!"

Dance? A few people nearby smiled in agreement, patting the children on the shoulders and motioning them toward the fountain. Zelda lifted her mask and realized people were dancing there. She then noticed three guards out skirting the crowd, searching for something and heading in their direction.

She threw off the mask and rushed forward, grabbing Link's arm. To the onlooker's delight, they stumbled to the fountain.

"What's going on?" Link muttered, eyes wide. "What are we doing out here?"

"Show us how you dance, kid!" someone shouted. Zelda felt a bit bad all of a sudden.

"It's a dance," she giggled nervously. "You're a Kokiri, so I think that they might want to see what Kokiri parties are like."

He gaped at her, color draining from his face. "But I don't dance!"

She giggled again, this time out of amusement. "Come on, it'll be fun!" She grabbed his hands and skipped up and down. He looked sick.

"I—I don't know h-how—" He vigorously shook his head and stumbled away from her, knocking into the edge of the crowd. He was pushed back toward the center.

A few of the couples dancing around them were sweeping around and prancing to the music, doing complicated moves and twirls and—well, clearly not anything Zelda's poor Kokiri friend was familiar with. But people kept cheering for a dance, and slowly the others stopped dancing to see what the commotion was.

"They've never seen a Kokiri in the city walls before," Zelda hissed in his ear apologetically. Then she smiled. "But you _were_ talking about celebrations! Come on, Link—show me some of the dances you were talking about."

Link stared at her, the blue of his eyes paling. He gulped. "What about all these people?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about them. Just show me!"

She swished her soiled dress and twirled around. Some people clapped. She twirled again, gaining a couple more cheers.

"Link," Navi murmured when he suddenly began rummaging through a pouch on his belt, which was enchanted, like Zelda's, to hold much more than it looked. The color began to return to the little boy's face when he pulled out a pale peach instrument, not much bigger than his hand.

Zelda stopped twirling. "Is that an ocarina?"

He raised the ocarina. "The music isn't right. In the woods, we play this." He blew into it, closing his eyes. Zelda listened intently as clear, energetic notes filled the air.

Her face broke into a huge smile. Link played a little louder, and the minstrels stopped to listen as well. Zelda was delighted. She clapped her hands to the rhythm.

Full of merriment, she let her feet carry her in a cheerful little skip. Clapping spread to the onlookers, who cried out merrily when she began to dance. It was unlike any ball she had attended. The music moved in such a playful way.

Link opened an eye as she swept and twirled, smiling a little. The minstrels picked up on the tune he was playing and began to puck out the notes on their instruments. Other people began to shout and move about in an uncoordinated fashion. The little boy lowered his ocarina in amazement.

Zelda grabbed his arm before he could retort, pulling him toward the fountain. No one was paying them much attention, as they were trying to figure out how to move to the unorthodox music. Link blinked at her as she giggled, swaying back and forth.

"That's not right," he said when she tried to force him into a dancing position like the ones she'd been taught. "Everyone is doing it wrong."

"What?"

Link took her hands and pulled her toward an open space. "It's more like this."

He showed her how he and his brothers and sisters always danced, skipping about in a lively jig. It was amazing, since Zelda had never danced this way before, nor had she ever had this much fun while doing it. She grabbed his hands and they laughed at themselves silly, prancing to the music and skipping about the town square. The townspeople began to realize what they were doing and tried to do it as well, though no one could do the dance as energetically or as articulately at Link could. Entertained by the small Kokiri, the villagers pestered him for more. Link played several other songs he could remember on his ocarina, which he said his friend named Saria had given him, and he and the little blonde noble girl no one recognized danced until they could no longer find the energy. They snuck away from the townspeople into a lantern-filled alleyway and plopped down on a stray pile of hay.

Zelda was still giggling. She was so tired she couldn't seem to help it. Her heart was pounding and she felt lightheaded, especially when she met Link's eyes. He still had his ocarina in his hand.

Zelda noticed some guards talking to folks only a ways away from where they now sat, so she tried to quiet down a little. "That was fun!" she whispered between titters.

"I've never had that many people looking at me at once." Link threw himself onto the hay and stared at the lanterns, breath labored. _You should try being royalty,_ Zelda thought with a smile. Hay poofed up into the air, disrupting Navi's flight.

"Your home sounds wonderful," she told Link sincerely. "I'd love to see the other Kokiri children and the Great Deku tree. We could all be friends!"

His face fell. He removed his funny long green hat and clutched it in his hand, mussing with his rusty blonde hair. For a moment, Zelda thought she could moisture in his eyes, but perhaps it was the effect of the lanterns. "The Great Deku tree is dead," he mumbled.

Zelda froze. Her brain couldn't quite process what the boy had said, especially after having such a grand time minutes before. _What?_ "Are you sure?" she finally spluttered.

Link solemnly nodded, placing his hat on his stomach. Navi drifted down to his side. "Link tried to save him, but it was too late," the fairy explained in a quiet, high-pitched voice. She sounded sad, too. "We fought off every monster tormenting the Great Deku Tree, even that nasty parasite spider with the big eye. Link barely made it out alive. And then, after all of that…"

"He died." Zelda turned to study her new friend, who's normally lively voice had gone flat. The Great Deku tree clearly meant a lot to his people. It was the guardian of the forest, an ancient and wise and powerful being. Zelda pondered the cobblestone, a deeply concerned expression on her face.

"Did you say a parasite spider killed the Tree?" she wondered. Her mind ran over all the books she had read on the subject of monsters in the castle's vast library.

"Yeah." Link wiped his nose with a scowl. "It was huge. The Great Deku tree said an evil man from the desert had sent it."

She remembered one monster in particular. "Was it a Gohma?"

Link slowly turned to look at her. For a split second, the ten year old looked much older than he was. He scowled, and then nodded. "I think that's right."

Zelda caught her breath. Gohma were huge, fearsome monsters created by evil men and women. Hearing that this little Kokiri fought it off, this boy, made her look at him in a new light. "Link…can I see the stone the Great Deku told you to give to m—uh, the princess?"

He looked penitent for a moment, glancing Navi's way. He should say no, of course, but…he reached into his pouch and fiddled until he slowly brought out what looked like a big emerald. It glowed a soft green light, and it was wrapped in a gold design.

"The Kokiri…Emerald," Zelda breathed. She carefully accepted it.

This was terrible, terrible news. _This meant…_ "Oh, no, father," she muttered to herself as she inspected the emerald. "Those are not just dreams."

Link scrunched up his brow, but didn't ask. Zelda stared at the gem in a sort of terrified awe for a few more seconds and then handed it back to him. She swallowed dryly. "You should definitely get that to Princess Zelda. As quickly as possible."

He tucked the stone away and sat up, giving her a mildly confused look. "Why? What's it to ya?"

She blinked, spending a moment deciphering what he had just said before she shook her head. "Oh, no, not for me. Well…Er, it's just that the emerald is very important and if it fell into the wrong hands—oh, you just should ask the princess," she sighed, studying his confused expression. "It would be odd for me, a noble girl, to tell you."

Link just appeared to get more and more confused. "You're a noble girl?" he asked hazily. "Wait—you never said what your name was!"

Zelda half-heartedly giggled. They had had this conversation earlier, when Zelda had discovered Link and Navi's identity, but avoided telling them hers. She thought about all the fun they had experienced that day, and how she had found a real friend in this boy. A great sadness settled in her heart. This would be the last time she had fun for a while. Then she did something that surprised all three of them—she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He was warm. Zelda laughed when she saw his expression while she started to pick hay out of her hair. A funny warm feeling seared through her insides.

"Go see the princess first thing tomorrow morning," Zelda told him, standing up to brush dirt off of her skirts. "I promise she'll be waiting for you. Just tell the guards—on second thought, you'd better find your own way inside the castle, okay?"

He gawked up at her, his nose and the tips of his ears red. Dumbly, he nodded. Zelda giggled. She wondered how he would react if she did it again— _no, Zelda,_ she scolded herself. Navi, however, wasn't nearly as tongue-tied as her partner. "How can you be sure she'll want to see _us_?"

"Trust me, she will." Zelda smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I have to go now, but it was very nice meeting you. Both of you." She curtsied and just about fell over. Her manners master would never let her hear the end of it if she had curtsied so poorly in front of her suitors. The thought made Zelda want to laugh and cry at the same time.

"I will never forget this night," she told them with a big, sad smile. She couldn't stand to look him in the eye for long so she huffed and turned toward the crowded marketplace. "Goodbye!"

It wasn't until she darted off that Link finally snapped out of his trance. He stood up, hat flopping to the ground. "Wait!"

"Thanks for taking me to the festival!" she shouted over her shoulder, waving. "I'll see you later!"

She ran until she was out of his line of sight, then turned—with a frown at the thought of the tantrum her father was going to have—and walked up to one of the castle guards.

* * *

"You disobedient child! I should have you locked in your room!"

The King's voice carried all the way down the corridor. Nearly a fourth the castle guard stood in a semicircle in the King's chambers, in the middle of which a little girl stood shamefully before her father's bed.

"And you—" The red-faced man in bed pointed at the nearest unsuspecting guard. "It took you _all day_ to locate my eleven year old daughter!" He coughed, choking on his own sleepy fit of rage. The guards shuffled back, mumbling apologies to the King. "Perhaps I need to replace every guard in this blasted room!"

Zelda grimaced. She was plenty prepared for the punishment she would receive, but hadn't meant to get anyone else in trouble. "I don't see how they could find me, father," she raised her voice. "I evaded the guards easily in the crowd. Tonight is the festival, you know. And the Gerudo King's arrival."

That changed the subject quickly enough. Her father's puffy red face return to her, a vein bulging on his forehead. His face contrasted wildly with his thick, gray beard. "And that's another thing! We have a visiting King in the castle with which I am to have conference tomorrow!"

"The Great Deku tree is dead!" she shouted back. "Dark magic brought evil creatures out of the earth! I believe that man is not honest in his dealings and he had something to do with it!"

The King rubbed his cheek wearily. He waved at the guards, who scurried from the room and shut the door behind them. "Not this again, Zelda," he groaned. "With the dreams—"

She clenched her small fists. "They're not dreams! They're visions of the future of Hyrule, as far as I can tell the future is going to be a dark one if we don't do something!"

"Silence!" The King sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes now, too. The red was fading from his face and he seemed more alert than before. Waking him up in the middle of the night had been a poor decision, since her father had a the tendency of being a very cranky waker. "Enough. Zelda, the Gerudo race is a separate people with their own dealings. The King has simply traveled here to discuss matters of land with me. I know your political advice has been of great use to me before, dear daughter," he added quickly when she opened her mouth. "But this is not what you say it is. I am, in fact, honored to meet the sole male Gerudo of the entire race. Only one is born every century, you know."

"I _do_ know," Zelda stressed. "And did _you_ know that not once has the King of their kind ever done anything good?"

"Enough, Zelda," her father repeated adamantly. "This conversation has come to an end. You shall go to bed and I will see to it you will not be allowed so much as a foot onto the castle grounds tomorrow, nor will you sit with me in court when I meet with the Gerudo King. This much I can promise, at least until I figure out what to do with you."

Zelda's eyes went wide. "The castle grounds? But father, I—!"

"Stop!" The king cried out. "I've already informed Impa. You won't be allowed outside the courtyard until I deal with these matters, understand? I'm worried for you, child. I can't count on a future ruler to be running off all the time."

She fell silent, knowing any arguing past this point was useless now. Her father—as good as he may or may not have intended—would never listen to her. Not really, and not when she contradicted his own ideas. The old man was set in his ways. She inhaled as he continued to talk. He was growing sleepier by the moment.

"And don't forget your lessons tomorrow. Your tutor is leaving soon to visit his sick great-uncle in the east and I don't want you forgetting everything while he's gone." The King let loose a yawn worthy of a lion, sinking into his cushions.

"I won't forget anything," Zelda grumbled. She never did.

"Good." The King seemed satisfied with himself, like he imagined they had a good father-daughter talk. He blew out the light and closed his eyes. "Go to bed, Zelda. I will see you at breakfast in the morning."

She sighed, pondering the hand-carved intricacies of the footboard of her father's bed. In only moments, the King's light snoring could be heard. A shadow appeared in the doorway.

Zelda turned to see her sheikah nanny holding a small candle and half-smiling in the moonlight.

"He won't listen to me, Impa," she grumped.

Impa rested a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Come, princess," Impa said as the girl yawned. "I think both of you are poor listeners when you've had little sleep." They left the room. "It's high time you returned to your chambers."

* * *

The birds woke Zelda first. She had a fitful night, full of strange dreams and dark visions. The same vision kept repeating in her head lately—she would find herself standing in a vast field, under a bright blue sky and a near-white sun (Zelda knew from books that this was most likely what Hyrule Field looked like, but she had never been there herself) when black clouds appear in the west, rumbling toward her with great ferocity. Sometimes there were sprites and children dancing in the field when the clouds appeared, other times hylian villages celebrating and feasting—either way, the same thing always happened next: the storm would block out the sun, the laughter would turn to screams, and the field would catch fire. Darkness enveloped everything, blotting out any light.

The despicable dream always made Zelda squirm in her sleep, seeing such destruction and being helpless to stop it. But then, after some time, the dream would shift, and a ray of sunlight would force its way through the oppressive clouds. The light always cast itself on a figure standing on a knoll in the field, a ways away from Zelda. She could tell the figure was clothed in green, and had a strange light, like a fairy, floating about him. As distant as the figure was, she could tell was he turned toward her, he was holding a large, shining, emerald in his palms. Then the dream would end.

The princess slid out of her bed, shaking her messy blonde hair. The dream had visited her again last night, but it had disturbed her more than usual. She felt like she was starting to grip its meaning.

Zelda rung a dainty little bell at her bedside, calling for her ladies-in-waiting. She would behave herself today, and then perhaps her father would allow her freedom to the castle grounds. If not, her new friend was going to have to find a way in himself. At the sound of the door, Zelda's pointed, slender ears perked.

Impa sauntered into the princess's room, arms crossed. Zelda gave her a half-interested glance before hurrying to the windowsill.

"A little early to be waking up the rest of the castle, Your Highness," Impa commented with a small frown, watching the girl hastily open the pane.

"I have to get ready for breakfast." Dawn was approaching steadily behind the mountains. Crisp, fresh air greeted Zelda, as well as the lively sound of birds in their nests.

Impa said nothing, simply observing and standing as Zelda scurried away from the window in the direction of her wardrobe. She flung it open and clasped her hands behind her back, violet-blue eyes darting around impatiently.

Minutes later, four ladies stumbled into Zelda's room, bleary eyed. They should have been used to such behavior from the princess, since she was often calling for them at unholy hours of the morning. Nevertheless, they attended to the child, helping her dress in something more than appropriate for castle activities. Zelda's heart sunk. Were _more_ suitors visiting today?

Her simple pink dress lay ragged and dirty on one hook of the wardrobe. Powered sugar speckled her front. Zelda sighed as she looked at it. Impa glanced down at her, but did not speak up.

Zelda's thoughts were all over the place as she and Impa journeyed to meet the King. More guards stood at attention than usual, and the servants were whispering madly.

"Are you smiling because you are so pleased to dine with your father?" the wise sheikah observed, interrupting Zelda's thoughts. "Or because you're thinking of that Kokiri boy you were playing with all day yesterday?"

Heat rushed to the princess's cheeks. She gazed at her nanny in alarm. "How—?"

Impa's red eyes returned to the staircase they were approaching. "It seems you aren't the only one who knows how to sneak around."

 _I knew I sensed someone watching me!_ "You knew where I was all day," Zelda stammered. "Didn't you?"

Impa laughed softly. "To give you some credit, we did not find you for the first hour. But you did not wander far, dear." Her tone hardened. "You should be glad the sheikah are capable of such deeds. The castle guard was a lost cause."

Zelda chuckled guiltily, studying the polished marble wall. "I'm sorry, Impa."

Impa eyed her with a raised brow. "Your father is the one you should be apologizing to, princess."

Zelda's posture sagged. "Is that evil Gerudo man really staying here?" she whispered, suddenly remembering the conversation from last night.

"Watch your tongue," Impa scolded. "If anyone was to hear that—"

"I'm sorry," she amended quickly. "I meant, is the Gerudo King, Ganondorf, staying at the castle this very moment?"

Impa regarded her with contained reprimand, but did not press the subject. "Yes, he is. He was invited to dine with you and your father for breakfast."

The breath flew from Zelda's lungs. She nearly collided with a page boy. "I had the dream again, Impa," she said. "I think—"

"Sh." They arrived at the door of the King's study. "The Gerudo declined. You will see your father alone, and I suggest you try not to provoke him. I've heard he is in a mood this morning."

Zelda nodded quickly. She could have predicted that without visionary dreams.

"One more thing. If you do not wish me to inform your father of your adventures in the marketplace yesterday—"

"Oh, no!" Zelda clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "Please don't, Impa!"

"I wasn't finished," Impa said, red eyes calm. "I was going to suggest you tell me what happened. We may have had eyes on you, but not ears, child, so I would like to understand what you may have learned about the Deku Tree and such."

Zelda's face lit up, but in an anxious way. "Of course, Impa. I shall explain to you everything. I was hoping to ask you anyway…"

Impa nodded. "After breakfast," she prodded, signaling the guards to open the doors. Zelda managed a smile before correcting her posture and walking inside.

I-I-I

The sun was climbing in the sky by the time father had finished eating. Any attempts at conversation had been bleak, leaving the King to grunt to himself any time he wanted to say something. Zelda was not surprised; she had never had the easiest time talking with him. Her mind was on other matters.

The King excused himself and Zelda found herself once more with Impa.

"Where are you going?"

"To the courtyard." Zelda walked as briskly as her nanny would allow her. "The King allowed me to go there." She sent a worried look at Impa. "Right?"

Impa lightly dipped her head so the princess rushed onward. They had arrived in the Great Hall, and she could see the entrance to the courtyard just across the way—

"Princess Zelda," an unwelcome voice cut in, the figure of the voice stepping into her path. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Zelda came quickly to a halt, expression twitching slightly as she reeled it into place. She dropped a perfect curtsy. "Hello, Lord Charles."

The young man performed a long, swooping bow, muttering reverently, "Your Highness." He delicately accepted her hand and planted a kiss on it. "It is an honor."

Zelda smiled politely. "I had not known you were coming."

In truth, she had refused to acknowledge any of her suitors for the past few weeks. A majority of her time was spent fretting over the future of the country or running away from her father, which meant escaping the flood of noblemen who had suddenly come seeking her as well. But of all her suitors, Lord Charles was the youngest and certainly the most persistent.

Charles sent her a charming smirk, a trick Zelda was sure worked well on most of the ladies in court. As the younger son of a high ranking Duke, sixteen year old Charles could be called ambitious in every sense of the word. He was tall and dashing, with side-swept dark orange hair and glittering green eyes. He was humorous and witty, and he was considered quite a catch among many of the giggling servants in the castle. Just not to Zelda.

"I am glad to have caught you at such an opportune moment, then," Charles said appreciatively. "I've been calling on the castle for the past week or so, just so I might see your face once more, fair princess." He acted like he was going to kiss her hand again, so Zelda promptly withdrew it. She forced a smile.

"How kindly of you."

"But alas," he said, expression falling. "I am here for another reason. My father sees fit for me to learn arts such as archery to the fullest extent available, so I am to seek out the captain."

Zelda was steadily growing impatient, but she arched one eyebrow and commented, "Your father has good taste. Perhaps I can accompany you in your lessons some other time."

Charles chuckled. "What, for archery? I see no need for you to fret over such manly arts, princess. Wouldn't want to bore you, now would we?"

Zelda cleared her throat quietly. "I do not find archery to be a bore, I assure you."

Charles chuckled again, and Zelda had the distinct impression he was not listening to her. "As you wish, Your Grace. I must take my leave now, but it has been an utmost pleasure to bump into you." He bowed again, and flashed his winning smile. Zelda managed to plaster another smile onto her face as he turned to his escorts.

He and his company walked off and the princess picked up her skirts, breaking into a run. It was most inappropriate to run through the Great Hall, but she did not stop until she had reached the courtyard.

Impa was waiting for her, a knowing gleam in her eyes. Zelda caught her breath with a frown.

"How could you leave me? I was defenseless!"

A smirk pursed Impa's mouth. "I did not abandon you. I merely thought you could handle him yourself."

Zelda's expression fell further. "I did not _want_ to handle him at all. He irks me." She huffed, straightening her headdress and glancing at a window on the far end of the courtyard. It felt good to be outside again, even if boxed in by tall stone walls. "He hasn't come for me yet, has he?"

Impa propped one arm up on her elbow, gaze following the princess as she crossed to the window. "By 'he,' if you mean the Kokiri, then no."

A flicker of disappointment jumped to the princess's features. Impa gazed down at her curiously. "Why are you expecting a Kokiri to visit the castle, princess?"

"Not the castle, just me. His name is Link. I think he may have something to do with my vision." And Zelda explained what she had learned from playing in the marketplace the day before, exuding any unimportant details (like the kiss, for example, though Zelda was positive the sheikah had witnessed that for herself).

"He's the one who informed me of the state of the Great Deku Tree," she continued. "He has the Kokiri Emerald with him."

Impa's eyebrows went up in mild surprise, which for Impa, meant quite a lot. "Perhaps he's not very much like his brothers and sisters. I would never assume a Kokiri capable of a stunt like that."

"I must talk with him," Zelda concluded, turning to face the window. "I have a bad feeling, Impa. Something is about to happen—soon."

Impa's face returned to its mildly disinterested, expressionless state. She gave the window an odd look. "I'm afraid talking with this Kokiri will be harder than you imagine. You are unable to leave the castle, and the King is about to be having an audience with the Gerudo. No one is going to let a little Kokiri boy inside the gates without permission."

Zelda glanced up. "Can't we give permission? Can't you?"

Impa studied her face, then slightly shook her head. "It will not be enough. Not without the King's consent."

"Then how am I supposed to—"

"We will see." Impa's mouth was a firm line. "If what he claims is true, and his quest is of so much importance, I think he will find a way." She offered a hint of a smile. "Don't look so distraught, child. If he truly is the one you saw in your dream, he should be able to manage a few half-blind guards."

She sighed, and then nodded. "I suppose you're right. Still…" Her eyes glimmered with worry as she returned to the window.

Impa chuckled, walking away. "I needn't remind you Kokiri do not grow up, do I, princess?"

She looked over her shoulder, eyes wide. "N-no, of course not, Impa." She inhaled and scowled. "Why would you ever feel the need to remind me of that?"

Her nanny actually smiled, casting Zelda a look. "Don't tease me, child. I was young once, too."

Zelda stood there, unsure of what to think, as the sheikah woman stepped into the shadows and disappeared. _What on earth?_

She tossed the thought from her mind, returning to the windowsill.

The King, without realizing it, had given her access to the window directly outside the throne room. She could see her father striding in now, a worn expression on his face. Her eyebrows lowered.

 _Where is that nasty man?_ She noticed a tall woman with copper skin and fiery red hair enter the room after her father settled on his throne. Her ears were not pointed like Zelda's, but short and curved, and she had an unsettlingly pronounced nose. Gerudo—the race of women bordering the boundaries of her father's kingdom—were characteristic of this look. As Zelda watched, another Gerudo entered after the first, and they stood at attention across from each other, as if waiting for something. Zelda peered on the tips of her toes through the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Gerudo King—

A distant disturbance among the guards reached her ears. Her eyes went wide.

Link!

Her heart sprung in nervous excitement in her chest, then in worry. She turned from the window, studying the empty courtyard. Her father denied her access beyond this area, and she might miss her father's meeting with Ganondorf, but what if they threw her Kokiri friend in the dungeon? Or worse? He would not get the chance to give her the Emerald, and he would not be able to help if he was trapped. She tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and made her choice, racing down the courtyard and through the connecting tunnel. If she could somehow help him or create a diversion—

Zelda did not have the chance to finish her thought because she smacked into someone running in the opposite direction and sent both of them sprawling. She saw a flash of green before her headdress was fell over her eyes and she tumbled hard onto her rump.

She heard fast breathing and a high-pitched squeak as she fumbled around in the grass. The breath had momentarily been knocked out of her; all she could make out for a confused moment was the solider's distant yells and frantic rustling beside her. Then someone with small, warm hands and a horrified voice grasped her arm to pull her upright. "Princess!"

She made it to her feet and felt strangely like laughing, though she could tell from the sound of his voice he felt far from it. He kept apologizing repeatedly, and Navi was having a heart attack. "No, no, no, it's alright," she finally cut in with one breath, reaching for her headdress. She straightened it properly out of her eyes and looked up with a small smile. The big blue eyes staring at her suddenly widened infinitely.

Link's mouth quite literally fell ajar. His hat was skewed to one side of his head, and he looked a little more bruised than the night before.

"It's you!" he cried, perhaps a little too loudly. She shushed him, glancing around for the nearest guards, when he abruptly sunk to one knee in a bowing gesture. Her first thought was _where did he learn that?_ and her second one was _he shouldn't bow to me like that, my kingdom technically does not stretch to the Kokiri forest._

Someone nearby yelled and both of them jumped. Whether Link had been spotted, or even Zelda outside her courtyard, thankfully Zelda's third thought was much less scatterbrained. She grabbed Link's arm and dragged him away from the scene, shouting, "Come on!"

They stumbled through the tunnel and dashed into the courtyard, Zelda checking over her shoulder for followers. Luckily, no one appeared to have seen them. With a sigh of relief, she finally released the green Kokiri boy, who was struggling to catch his breath.

"You," he choked, straightening. His little green tunic was dirty, and his dark blonde hair was wild. She realized those bright blue peepers of his were ogling at her, and embarrassment flushed her features. He slowly lifted a finger. "You, you, in the marketplace…"

"Yes, that was me." Zelda covered her mouth, feeling the urge to giggle, but deciding it would be inappropriate for a proper princess to giggle. Instead, she offered the most apologetic smile she could manage. "I'm sorry for not telling you who I was before." She took a deep breath, and curtsied elegantly for them. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule."

The little boy went redder than all get out, dropping his hand and suddenly staring at his boots. Out of his hat zipped a blue orb of light that flew right up to Zelda's face, ringing out a series of tinkling noises. "You! You were the princess the whole time!"

Zelda smiled. "It's a pleasure to see you again, too, Navi."

The fairy stuttered, hesitating before zipping back to where Link stood with his eyes glued to the ground. He had begun digging the toe of his left boot into the manicured soil of the courtyard. Zelda's vision sprung to memory and she remembered his purpose—the Kokiri Emerald. She nearly opened her mouth to ask him, but at the same moment, movement through the window caught her eye.

Zelda hurried to the window, bracing her palms against the sill and leaning as far forward as her toes would let her. "What's that?" Link asked, following her curiously.

Ganondorf had arrived. He swept down the hallway slowly, yellow eyes scanning the place as if inspecting an item for sale. He looked at her father with something hardly short of a sneer. The cold knot the young princess always got upon seeing him tightened in Zelda's stomach.

"The Gerudo King of Thieves," she said under her breath. She turned and found Link standing only a few feet away. _Perhaps he would understand more than any other my innate dislike of this man_. She waved him over.

"Look, Link," the young princess told the boy, motioning to the window. The Kokiri leaned forward to peer through the glass pane, pushing scraggly blonde hairs out of his eyes with both palms.

"I know that guy," he commented darkly.

"That's Ganondorf, king of the thieves who live in the desert." She shuddered. "He's here to flatter my father into combining forces…"

The man suddenly turned to look straight them with his shimmering yellow eyes. Link cried out in alarm, jumping back from the window.

"He knows we're talking about him," Navi squeaked, peering out of Link's long green hat.

Link glanced at the princess. "What's he up to?"

Zelda sighed deeply, then shook her head. "It's hard to say. But…I…can sense his intentions aren't benevolent…" She was struggling for words, and he looked plenty confused.

"Do you know what the Triforce is, Link?" she eventually asked, sitting down on the top step leading up to the window.

He casually dropped down next to her, sword clattering against shield. "Yeah, the Great Deku tree told me a little about it before he died…" His eyes grew wide. "Don't tell me it's a real, actual thing!"

"It is a real thing," she confirmed. "A very real thing. And in the wrong hands, it's a very dangerous thing. I—I think that Ganondorf and his soldiers aren't here for any other reason than to find it."

His eyes went even wider, if that was possible. "You mean he wants to—"

"Yes," she moaned. "The royal family guards it's location, but if he finds it, he will surely take over the world.

"I have no proof that he plans to do this except for the dreams I've been having as of late," she explained. She proceeded to tell Link everything she'd been thinking, from how she had begun having strange visions in her sleep after her eleventh birthday to this suspicious visit from the Gerudo.

"And then a figure cloaked in green appears in a ray of sunlight with a fairy floating around his head, holding an emerald stone," she said, motioning with her hands rather energetically now. Link, who had been listening with captivation, raised his eyebrows a little when she suddenly looked at him.

"Fairy…and a stone?" He swallowed, glancing down at his green tunic.

Zelda laughed. "Don't worry, Link. I think with your help, there's a possibility we can stop dark times from befalling Hyrule like they do in my dreams. But it'll require a bit of adventure."

He looked suddenly intrigued, as if the word 'adventure,' snapped up his attention the way a dog senses a squirrel. "I'll do anything, princess."

 _Oh no._ "Please," she cut in. "Call me Zelda." _If Link will not treat me as a friend, no one ever will!_

His ears went red and his normally courageous gaze hid in the folds of his tunic. "Sorry. I mean, I'll do anything…Zelda."

A strange warm feeling similar to the one she'd felt last night wormed into her heart, making her break into a smile. The most bizarre urge to hug him flitted through her mind, but she did not act on it. "Thank you very much for your support. You believe my dreams are visions, then?"

He looked back at her. "Of course I believe you," he said with a hint of incredulity, as if anyone who did not believe her was stupid.

Relief and warmth tingled her insides. A frown touched her face as she suddenly pulled her knees up. "My father does not believe me. Anything I do to prove otherwise backfires. So I cannot leave the palace, as much as I dearly wish to."

Navi, who had been flying in the nearby flowers while they talked, reappeared above Link's head. "If you can't leave the palace, why were you in the marketplace yesterday?"

Zelda smiled sheepishly. "Um, well, I sort of snuck out for the festival." She hugged her knees tighter. "I get tired cooped up behind these walls, so I escaped and spent the day avoiding guards. That's who I was hiding from," she added with a glimmer in her eye, nodding toward Link. His face split into a toothy beam.

"Oh." The fairy settled on her companion's shoulder. "But you aren't supposed to leave?"

She shook her head with exaggeration. "Father's rules," she groaned. "It's even harder to sneak out now that security has increased. But Link, you did it, so I congratulate you." She cast him a wary smile.

He grinned. "You want to go adventures, too, don't you?"

"I would love to see the world someday," she muttered wistfully. "In disguise, so no one would know—or, better yet, care—who I was. But that's not important." She huffed, brushing aside daydreams. "I am stuck here for the time being, so I need you to go into the world for me."

He nodded, grin fading. "What do you want me to do?"

"Stop Ganondorf." She straightened and continued, "He can't find the keys to the Triforce if we find them first. There are three sacred stones and a special Ocarina. You have the first stone, the Kokiri Emerald, and I have…"

She turned and rummaged through a small pouch at her side. She withdrew a blue instrument.

"An ocarina?" Link pulled out his own pale pink ocarina to compare.

"Like yours," she smiled. "But this is a special family heirloom—the Ocarina of Time."

Eyes wide, he watched as she put the Ocarina of Time away. "This, with your stone, that means we have two of the four keys. I need you to find the other two keys. Do you think you can manage?"

He stood up, adjusting his belt. "I promise I can." He looked mischievous with bruises and dirt smeared across his skin, but his bright blue eyes were full of light and courage. It suddenly struck her how ridiculous it was for her to be asking this dangerous task of him—a small Kokiri boy, who grew up in the forest without knowledge of the rest of the world. But there was something in his eyes that made her think otherwise. "You can count on me, Zelda."

He offered her both hands, which is perhaps how they helped each other up in the Kokiri forest. It only made Zelda's smile grow as she accepted them and got to her feet.

"You may need this to let yourself in to certain areas," she put in, handing him a note she had prepared earlier. "It should work outside the castle. Oh, and I almost forgot."

Zelda lightly cleared her throat, blushing. "I do believe you will need to verify yourself as a messenger for the royal family sooner or later, so I will teach you song only the royal family and its protectors know. Ready?"

Navi bumped him, and he scrambled to find his ocarina. Zelda covered her mouth, restraining giggles as he fumbled over himself until he recovered with instrument in hands. Ears red, he nodded. "Okay!"

She softly sang the notes of a lullaby from when she was little. Link closed his eyes and raised the ocarina, repeating the song.

"I could have taught him that, princess," a mature voice interrupted when they had finished. Link jumped, but Zelda immediately recognized the voice. She turned with a small, embarrassed smile. "Impa."

Her caretaker dipped her head and Zelda returned to face Link's blanching face. "Link, Navi, this is my sheikah nanny, Impa. She watches over me. Impa…this is Link and his fairy, Navi."

Impa studied them with hard red eyes, though she was smirking slightly. Zelda knew she had already been spying on them, so she certainly didn't need an introduction. But smiling was a good sign.

"Young man," she started in an stern voice. Link stood there stiffly, staring at her. "You've shown diligence and loyalty toward the princess today. She trusts you, and so will I." Her gaze hardened a smidge, though. "You are the first to believe the princess's visions, other than myself." She slowly dipped her head in his direction as she had done to the princess. Zelda watched in shock—Impa never bowed to anyone but royalty. This _was_ a good sign!

"I will escort him to the outer gates," Impa offered, and Zelda nodded gratefully. No use beating up the little hero before he had the chance to be heroic. First, however, she stepped up to his side.

"I can't thank you enough for all your help, Link," she admitted, taking a deep breath. "Bring all three stones back here when you have them. And please be careful!"

Before she lost her nerve, she lightly kissed him on the cheek. It would have been terribly inappropriate for her to do that to a boy who was not suitor. But it reminded her that Link was her friend, and it wasn't out of line as a friend. Plus, it made her feel fuzzy inside.

Link was even more bewildered this time than he had been the first time she'd planted one on his cheek. He went redder than a tomato.

"You may go now," she giggled, stepping away. He stumbled a few paces from her, Navi making comments as she flew about his head, until Impa materialized right in front of the boy. "I've got him," she said, grabbing the collar of his tunic. Link's eyes widened as she yanked him into the air, to which he began to protest adamantly. Zelda watched with a mixture of amusement and concern as her nanny walked off with the Kokiri struggling in one hand.

Zelda observed them until they were out of sight, then snuck over to the window again. Her father's meeting with Ganondorf had come to an end. She sighed. With any luck…and perhaps a little fate…her new ally Link would get the stones before they were out of time.

At least, that's what she hoped.

* * *

The morning Lord Charles proposed was the morning the attack started.

The day had already started out dreary, and Zelda had poor night's sleep from the worst fit of nightmares yet. Seeing Charles in the parlor with her father had immediately worsened her mood.

"Princess!" Charles strode forward the moment after her arrival was announced and kissed her hand. His voice was far too loud and cheerful today; it swam in her brain and made her skull ache. She shot a disturbed look at the King.

"Father." Zelda's violet-blue eyes were tired and cross. Her hair was a mess of blonde that refused to lay properly for some reason. "What is the meaning of this?"

The King was already dressed for the day and had a small smile on his face, which faded when he noticed her tone. "Lord Charles has asked me for your hand in marriage, my dearest child, and I've given my permission."

What? Zelda was certain she was not hearing him correctly. All she could make out was Charles's pearly whites flashing at her and the smattering of applause from whoever else was present in the room.

"I'm too young," Zelda finally stammered, too speechless to say anything else. She glanced at Impa in shock, only to find her nanny was no longer at her side.

The King dipped his head in acknowledgement. "For now, yes." He turned to the others. "As soon as the princess's fourteenth birthday arrives, Zelda will be wed to the Duke's second son, Lord Charles, right here in the castle. Hip-hip-hurrah!"

Charles smiled at her expectantly as the room broke into cheers. Thunder rolled ominously from the dark, low hanging clouds outside as Zelda stared back.

Suddenly, the castle trembled. All eyes flew to the window, cheers turning into murmurs. Impa appeared out of thin air, expression grim. She pulled the King aside and said something very urgently into his ear.

The King paled. From elsewhere in the palace they could hear shouting and screaming and clashing of blades.

"The palace is under attack," Zelda's father declared. Guards thrust open the doors and swarmed the room immediately after the statement, ushering in discord with them. Chambermaids began to run about in panic while noblemen fought to find a suitable exit. The King shouted orders, unheard by Zelda through all the ruckus.

Impa found the young princess at the window, watching the battle unfold on the grounds below. Monsters she'd only read about in books were clawing out of the earth and ambling forth from the shadows. Twin witches on broomsticks flew around, casting destructive spells and cackling as the royal guard crumpled beneath them. Atop a steed several paces back, watching above it all was the Gerudo King, Ganondorf. Zelda's breath hitched in her chest.

"Princess!" Charles wormed his way out of the discord, reaching for Zelda as Impa pulled her away. Zelda's eyes briefly found his, stunned and frightened. Then he was gone.

Zelda couldn't find the breath to ask questions as Impa flew through the castle, using passageways Zelda didn't know existed. She saw several guards, sheikah, and even a glowing green skeleton as they flew past, but Impa avoided all of them. They stopped only once they were outside, where the sounds of battle were painfully loud.

"What's happening?" the princess eventually cried.

"Your vision," Impa replied under her breath, lifting the girl onto the back of a horse. "It's coming true." Impa swiftly lifted herself onto the horse as well, ignoring the princess's pleas to turn back.

"My father is still in there!" Zelda wiggled about in the saddle as Impa took hold of the reigns. Impa shook her head.

"My duty is to protect you, child. Your father has to rally his forces to keep the castle from falling. We need to get you as far away from here as we can so if things turn for the worst…the royal line might still continue."

Impa commanded the horse onward and Zelda stopped struggling, eyes going wide. The carnage already strewn from Ganondorf's demonic army was mortifying. Soldiers and knights fought feebly against the horrors of the underworld on the castle's groomed lawn, some of them lying motionless on the ground. Impa covered Zelda's head as they raced by it all, forcing her to look away.

 _My vision._ Impa's horse leapt onto the road leading to the marketplace right as Ganondorf took notice of their escape. Impa urged the horse to run faster as the gears began spinning in princess Zelda's head.

"Link!" The girl's scream was nearly drowned out by the wind. "He's was bringing me the Sacred Stones! We have to get him!"

Shouts arose from the castle town as people spied the horse speeding toward them. Impa shook her head. "There's no time, princess!"

Zelda looked over her shoulder as they charged through town square. Ganondorf was gaining ground quickly on his black steed, a look of steel in his eyes Zelda could see from a mile away. A terrifying shiver shot down her spine, and she fingered a cool instrument in her enchanted pouch. She received the impression that it was no longer going to be safe in her possession.

Impa and Zelda were nearly at the drawbridge when Zelda spied a familiar figure in green running toward them from the other side. Her heart dared to hope. It was Link! She saw the glimmering red, blue, and green objects in his fist as they thundered over the bridge. He had retrieved all the sacred stones!

Link shouted out as they galloped by, running after them. "Zelda! Zelda, wait!"

"Stop the horse, Impa!" Zelda commanded in a shrill voice. Impa shook her head. Zelda glanced direly at Link, who was fading like the castle behind them. She drew her hand from her pouch, and in one last desperate move, she threw the Ocarina of Time with all her strength. It sailed through the air over Link's head and splashed in the moat behind him. Link stopped running, a forlorn look settling on his face before he glanced over his shoulder. Right as Zelda's line of sight disappeared behind a hill, she saw Ganon's dark horse slowing to a stop beside the little Kokiri boy.

"He'll be alright," Impa assured her as they continued to ride onward, seemingly toward a cluster of ominous-looking trees. But her voice wavered, and Zelda nearly broke down. Impa never wavered.

Monsters like the ones Zelda had seen attacking the castle roamed around the entrance of the Lost Woods, immediately giving chase when they saw the princess and the sheikah approaching. Zelda screamed as they grabbed at the animal's tail and legs as it rushed into the trees. One caught hold of her foot.

"Hold on, child!" Impa reared back, throwing the undead from them and then bolting off into the forest. Zelda lost a shoe.

"Where are we g-g—?"

"The Kokiri Village!" Impa gasped when more monsters surged from unseen places in the woods. The horse neighed, almost tossing its riders to the ground when a large, dark purple plant sprang upward, snapping at them. _A deku baba._

Impa regained control of the spooked animal with some difficulty, forcing it deeper into the forest. The trees were all starting to look the same. "The Kokiri Village?" Zelda screamed again as they jumped over another creature. "What about the castle? What about my kingdom, my father? What about Link!?"

Impa raced into a clearing and abruptly slowed the horse to a stop. She dismounted, revealing for the first time she held a wrapped bundle under one of her arms.

Thunder roared and a feeling like static washed over Zelda, filling her with a strong tingling sensation. A strange light appeared in her lap. She and Impa both looked at Zelda's hand, which was now shining very brightly with a golden triangle symbol. Zelda knew exactly what it was before her mind had the chance to register it.

"The Triforce."

Impa's red eyes were almost disbelieving. "He's opened the Sacred Realm," she said, pulling Zelda off the horse. They studied her hand again as more thunder boomed. "The Triforce of Wisdom has taken refuge in you."

Zelda wasn't sure what to think. She could not think properly at all. Instead, she only stared, half-terrified, as Impa slapped her horse's rear and sent it sprawling into the trees.

"Wait!"

Impa knelt before the girl, a serious expression on her face. "Zelda. This is where we must part paths. Take this." She placed the bundle in Zelda's arms. "Your destiny still awaits you."

Impa ignored Zelda's scared retorts, instead placing a calm hand on her shoulder. "You and I cannot be seen together. Ganondorf is on the hunt for you now, and you must not let him find you. I've changed my mind; follow this trial into the mountains. Go to Kakariko Village. Do not tell a soul who you really are."

Screams of the undead and screams of the living reached Zelda's pointed ears, echoing all the way from Hyrule Field. She searched her nanny's gaze for a hint of sarcasm, perhaps a cruel joke. There was nothing but somberness.

"You can't leave me on my own." Tears welled up in Zelda's eyes. She realized she was shaking. "Impa, don't go."

Her caretaker's face softened, and then, in an un-sheikah-like way, Impa pulled the little girl into a hug. "You must, Zelda. Hyrule depends on you now more than ever." She pulled away. "Promise me you'll be strong."

She didn't want to promise. She didn't want leave at all—she ached to go back to the castle and find everything restored to the way it was. But the glowing Triforce on her hand filled the princess with warmth, and she slowly nodded.

Impa released a sigh, then stood. "This is not the last time we will meet, princess. Trust your visions. Be wise." There was almost a twinkle in her eye when she said that, but it quickly vanished. "The heavens will watch over you, so make haste!"

Impa lightly pushed in her the direction of the mountains as the moan of monsters grew close. Zelda looked over her shoulder a final time to see Impa standing in the clearing, sword drawn, and understood with sudden clarity that this would be the last time she would see her beloved sheikah nanny for a long time.

She turned to the gloomy trees, bundle clutched tightly, and ran.

* * *

Navi flew high above Link's head as they rushed down the cobblestone road. "You think we'll make it?" Link shouted, darting around a pair of frightened hylians. In one fist he clutched the Ocarina of Time, and in the other the Sacred Stones.

Navi zipped back to his side. "The coast is clear." Her tiny voice was worried. "The villagers don't know what's happening yet."

Link pushed hair wet from the moat out of his eyes. "We don't even know what's happening yet!"

Navi chirped, "I can see the temple just ahead!"

They reached the marketplace square and ran right through it. Dogs and butterflies and children still played in the streets, and the adults stood close and whispered to one another. The tall tower of the building Zelda had told them about rose up into sight alongside the mountains. Link and Navi ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.

Out of breath, the little boy pushed open the heavy doors of the Temple of Time, pausing in the entryway to look at the impressive structure. His brown boots slapped against the tile as he ran to the altar at the opposite end of the room.

"I hope Princess Zelda is okay," Link mumbled, dumping the wet items in his hands on the stand.

"She will be," Navi reassured him. "She probably wonders what happened to you after that evil man stopped us by the moat."

"He knocked me out of the way like I was nothing." Link's features scrunched up in frustration. He stared at the pieces. "I don't get it Navi, what are we supposed to do now?"

The sacred jewels Link had placed on the altar began to glow. He stumbled back. The carving of the Triforce on the wall directly behind the altar lit up.

Link stared at the golden symbol and swallowed. Navi timidly flew over the stones, blue glow falling on an inscription on the altar. "Link, there's some writing here," she declared.

He stood on the tips of his toes to see it, squinting at the inscription. "What's it say?"

The fairy's tinkling voice read, " _Ye who owns 3 Spiritual Stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time, and play the Song of Time_. Hmm. What could that mean?"

Link reached for the Ocarina. "It's gotta be from my vision of Zelda. In the moat—she taught me the song. Hold on, I can play it." He grabbed the Ocarina and raised the instrument to his lips. The notes came out pure and clear.

The Sacred Stones rose into the air as he began to play, to their surprise. The music penetrating the air had a magical quality. As the song came to an end, the stones settled in three respective slots on the altar, and the temple shook suddenly. The wall below the carved Triforce split in half with a loud crack. Link nearly lost his balance as the stone doors rumbled open.

"It's the Door of Time," he managed, holding on to his hat. Navi had long since disappeared inside of it. "Zelda said this would happen!"

Determined, he jumped up the stairs around the altar and ran into the newly revealed corridor, cold and musty air greeting his cheeks. Link took in the tall walls of the new chamber at the end of the hall, light pouring from a single high window onto the mystical pedestal before him.

Navi timidly reappeared as Link slowed, gasping at what she saw. She flew over to the pedestal at light speed. "Look at this, Link!" she cried.

Link glanced around at the lofty space as he walked into the chamber. Light spilled into his eyes. "It feels…weird in here," he commented, coming to a stop beside the fairy. They stared at the sword gleaming in the center of the pedestal.

"The Master Sword." Navi sounded as though she could barely contain her excitement."This is the opening to the Sacred Realm. Link, do you know what this means?"

"No," he breathed.

"I can't believe it's real." The fairy circled the Master Sword. "It's so real! Touch it!"

Link laid his hands on the deep indigo hilt. It was cool to the touch. The eerie glow emitting from its blade seemed to fill him with a distant warmth. "It seems like it's sleeping," he murmured.

"I think it's meant for you to pull it," Navi whispered, hovering back a few inches. Link gawked at her. "Pull it? Me? I couldn't pull it! I'm not big enough!"

Navi settled on his shoulder. "It's your decision. But I think…I think the Great Deku tree foresaw this."

Link studied the legendary sword. "How would I use it? It's practically my size." He fingered the symbol of the Triforce engraved into the blade. "You really think it's meant for me?"

Navi fluttered to the hilt once more, touching it with her tiny hands. "Only a true hero can pull it out. Try it, Link! It's your destiny!"

Link put on a brave face, inhaling very deeply. "Alright," he decided. He cast a solitary glance over his shoulder. "If it'll help me save Zelda," he said, stepping onto the sword's base. Both of them watched with avid eyes as he gripped the hilt with both hands. The little boy grunted and lifted the sword, which slid easily out of the pedestal.

The chamber flooded with light.

* * *

A dark thundercloud rolling over the castle rumbled all the way to Death Mountain, clapping most sharply above the burning remnants of castle town. A tall, hook-nosed man with hair as red as the depths of Hell walked out of the Temple of Time, yellow eyes narrow as the thunder raged. A group of ominous figures bowed at the sight of him, keeping their heads low as the flames around them licked up the walls of the town buildings and danced on the roofs.

Two old women with green skin and white hair as tall as their scrawny little bodies greeted the man as they floated in the air on broomsticks several feet above the ground, cackling unintimidated.

"The Triforce split," one crowed.

"The princess is nowhere it be found," the other added. "This weeklong raid was almost for nothing."

The golden-eyed man breathed deeply. The fires seemed to jump a little higher.

"I will find the girl," he said. He turned, facing the burning towers of Hyrule castle in the distance. Dark energy radiated around it. "It won't be long. I will have the full Triforce again."

He straightened the glove on his right hand where a strange triangle symbol glowed: the Triforce of Power. Creatures of the undead moaned at the glow.

"Let it be known to every mewling coward in the land that I am King of Hyrule now," he boomed. He laughed darkly. "With this Triforce piece alone, I have the power to turn everything slave to my bidding!"

Thunder clapped and a wave of energy rippled out from where the man stood. The shock sent several buildings in disrepair and caused the Redeads standing within the town to fall over.

"The princess still has the Triforce of Wisdom," one of the old hags warned, wagging a finger.

"And that brat kid has the other one," her sister chirped.

"Never mind the brat." Ganondorf's eyes glowed maliciously as he watched the castle burn. "Neither of those children are a match for the strength I have obtained. It won't be long before the princess will emerge from her hiding place, begging on her hands and knees for mercy." He clenched his fist. "I will find her. And when I do, I will tear that ancient power from her broken body."

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_

If you have made it this far, I love you! Eh, actually, that's creepy. I like you very much!

This long chapter is the first of many to come in my LoL fanfic, something I promise to update on an almost regular basis (I technically already broke the promise to update monthly, but NO MORE). School is out and the need to write is STRONG!

If you couldn't tell, I took inspiration heavily from the official Ocarina of Time manga for this chapter! ;) The story is nothing like the manga from this point onward, though, and hopefully that's okay. Disclaimer that my fanfic doesn't match the game exactly, even with certain events/characters. I've made up some of my own characters, clearly, and others I have given names (they weren't given real names in the games-some names are based on that character's Majora's Mask counterpart and/or zelda wiki research).

(I also want to apologize for the lack of paragraph breaks in the first version of this chapter-I had some but they got friggin erased when I saved the the document to the website. It was very confusing.)

Reviews and constructive criticism are very much appreciated! I want feedback! Positive feedback especially if you can give ANY! Like, even just, "hey, I think your story is mostly okay." End of sentence. It's nice, it really is. Gives me a tiny high. Just a little one, though, so don't think I am on drugs.

Writing is like drugs.

 **That's it. Next chapter coming soon. Stay posted!**


	2. Seven Years Past

***Update 7/4/2017*** Just a half-hearted fix of some grammatical issues and stuff, nothing special. Carry on.

* * *

SEVEN YEARS LATER

* * *

"Zara!"

One eye opened. Shadows and bright light played in her vision.

"Zara!"

 _Who's shouting?_ She rolled away from the sound, trying to retain the dream she was having.

"ZARA!"

Two hands roughly jolted her from sleep. The young woman startled awake, blinking up at the girl with frizzy brown hair shaking her cot.

Seeing she was successful, the girl straightened and put her hands on her hips. "There," she sniffed, throwing an accusing look over her shoulder. "I told you she was awake!"

Tired, the young woman blinked again, muted morning light now filtering into her eyes. The one-room cottage unfolded like a vision before her; warm yellow walls, a round wooden table, the aroma of soup filling the air. She stretched her sore limbs as a much less unpleasant woman waved her spoon from the other side of the cottage. "Well now she is, Jessica, since you just woke her. Leave her be."

The girl, Jessica, rolled her eyes, looking back to the cot. Her bed head of brown ringlets glowed in the sunlight, creating a halo around her head though she was no angel. "Get up," she ordered, in spite of the fact that Zara was already sliding out of bed. "Mum's out and I need my hair done."

The young woman they called Zara stood and yawned, extending her sore back as far as possible. She brushed dark brown hair from her eyes and looked to the larger woman standing over the stove, who had just clucked her tongue. "She's gettin' up now, so you can bother someone else until she's ready." Maine used her spoon to point at the other bunk beds around Zara's where people still slept. "You'd best wash your hair outside while you wait since you're making such a fuss!"

Jessica pouted, glaring at Zelda. "Hurry," she huffed, then marched to the front door.

"Goodness gracious," Maine mumbled as it slammed shut, stirring a broth over her stove that was reason for the delicious smell in the morning air. "What's got into her? Like an arrogant rooster."

Zara yawned again, rubbing her hazel eyes. She gave a knowing smile to her Hylian caretaker, who just shook her head.

"This ruckus is all probably because of the rumors," Maine continued talking aloud, mostly to herself. "Word has it the Duke's son is riding to town this morning." She wiped her large hands on her apron, pausing to scoop some broth into a bowl and hand it to the maiden with a roll. "You'd better be quick. Jessica has got her head wrapped around that boy, and Mamamu Yan is more than eager to secure him for her daughter. Thinks it'll elevate them to royalty. Ha!"

Zara set the food on the table in the middle of the room, pulling her apron off the chair and returning to her cot to make the bed. She tugged the smock over her dress, dipped the roll into the soup once, and lifted a sudsy bucket into her hand before turning for the door.

"Don't forget to eat!" Maine called over her shoulder as Zara headed out, roll in one hand and the bucket in the other.

The morning was clear and sunny, the opposite of how it had been the night Zelda had stumbled in Kakariko village seven years earlier. Cuccos clucked and birds tweeted as they flew between mountains; the sky was an immaculate shade of blue. A few marketers were already up, bustling out their goods and sharing gossip. It was on days like these the people could almost forget about the past seven years, or the reign of terror Ganondorf had them under. How fortunate young Zelda had been then to find Maine and disguise herself in a new life. Zelda inhaled the crisp air as she strolled, taking a bite from of the roll.

An impatient sixteen year old was waiting by the well, arms crossed and expression sour. Zelda took the steps one at a time, savoring her food.

"Would you hurry up!? You're slower than a half-beaten mule." Jessica brushed invisible specks of dirt off her cream-colored dress in a dramatic hurry, like her appearance was of great importance to the world. Her hair was no more tame than it had been a few minutes ago, and her cheeks were ruddier than usual. "Lord Charles could be here any minute! Let's _go!"_

Zelda licked last of her breakfast off her fingertips before acknowledging the daughter of her employer by raising the bucket she was holding. Jessica glared at her. "You carry it!"

Zelda pointed at the hill behind the windmill, where Jessica and her mother lived, and the girl squealed. She stomped her foot. "Why do you have to be such a pain when Mummy's not around?" She kicked the side of the well. "Nevermind going home, just…get on with it right here!"

She flipped her hair over the bricks, letting it dangle above the dry pit that used to house water. The well had been empty for as long as Zelda had lived in Kakariko, though she heard it had been full days before her arrival.

Ignoring the girl's blabbering about the cold, Zelda lifted the bucket and poured water over Jessica's head. Why Jessica didn't just bathe more often was beyond her. In summer's heat water from the river wasn't _that_ freezing.

Jessica spat and complained about how miserable she was while Zelda washed her hair. "Go to the house and get my things when you're done, and don't forget the bows and ribbons." She mumbled in a pinched voice from having her head upside-down. "I don't want to miss a thing this time. I'm coming of age and Mum says I shouldn't miss the opportunity to impress Lord Charles while I'm in my prime, whatever that means." She droned on, "Girls only have so much time to get married, before they get too old and no one wants them anymore."

Zelda put the bucket aside and had Jessica straighten as she went on and on about when she became a Lady, content to have a captive audience. Zelda combed through most of the tangles with her fingers. _What is she talking about? That's ridiculous._ She was aching to leave the whiny girl and grab her bow, some arrows and climb to the nearest peak—

A cry came from the watchtower. Shouts rang up from town square and Jessica nearly stumbled over the edge of the well. Zelda's heart jumped. She squinted at the tower, noticing that was what the watchman was frantically signaling to the crowd.

"He's coming!" Jessica caught her breath. "Fetch those things, Zara, he can't see me until I'm positively ravishing!" She fanned her flushed face with a hand, sending Zelda a scowl when she didn't leap at the command. "What are you doing!? Go! Now!"

Zelda sighed, pulling the tip of her scarf over her nose and turning away. At least she was headed in the opposite direction of the commotion. She'd had more than her fair share of commotion lately.

Dawning sunlight broke into rays that scattered into Zelda's vision as she peaked the hill beside the graveyard. The noise from town square was still audible from here, though less prominent. As Zelda approached the sparse trees that spotted the hillside she had the familiar sense of understanding of why Mamamu Yan and the other refugees had chosen to make their homes on the mountainside, even though it they were a bit of a pain to reach.

Rudimentary houses and huts were scattered throughout the clearing as Zelda strolled through. Looking around, one could tell the homes were not made by professional carpenters—or at least, sat unfinished after the carpenters deserted Kakariko. Zelda kept walking until caught up to what was probably the most polished shack and slipped inside.

Light filtering through slits in the wood was blocked out by the countless objects that filled Jessica's home. Pushing through the mess toward the vanity, the maid extended her bandaged right hand toward the pile of combs, ribbons, and perfumes sitting there. She swept them into the nearest bucket as a scream—faint, nearly imperceptible—tickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Her hand stiffened.

She _knew_ it wasn't Charles the watchman had been signaling about.

Other distant sounds reached her ears as she surpassed the bucket and swept the objects directly into her hidden pouch. Darting to the door, she withdrew a purple vile from her pocket and studied its contents. _Running low on magic again._

The young Hylian priest living next to Mamamu Yan's shack had already stumbled out of his crude home and toward the windmill by the time Zelda opened the door.

"Zara!" Ross exclaimed in mild wonderment, ganglier than ever in his early-morning robes. He was bleary-eyed, and his short hair stuck up on one side. "I wonder what is going on?"

Zelda strode past him to the gate, pressing both hands against its wooden surface. Ross stumbled to a stop several feet short of it. "My word! It's an invasion!"

An invasion this early in the morning was unheard of. But, in the fading shadows of the night, creatures of evil seemed to have made their way into Kakariko. Zelda strode along the gate, hazel eyes scanning it quickly.

"Don't fret, Zara." Ross half-followed her in his mild mannered way. "It looks bad now, but the village knows how to deal with issues like this. There is always hope."

Zelda continued walking until she found the spot where one wooden beam was lower than its brothers. She silently acknowledged Ross, keeping her eyes on the commotion. Two skeletal Stalchildren were terrorizing the closest market stands. Easy enough. What bothered her was the squawking guay that circled above their heads—birds territorially found in the desert or on the fringes of Hyrule field. What was one doing all the way in Kakariko?

She wished she could shoo Ross away, but to do so would blow her cover as Zara. Instead, she quickly turned to the man, bowing and nodding and pointing toward the houses as if in fear. Ross bought it wholeheartedly.

"Yes, yes, go take shelter. I'll watch from here and find you when the fight is over. It'll be alright, child," he added sympathetically. "We have the Sheikah to protect us, remember?"

 _Not if the Sheikah can't get into battle,_ she thought as she nodded and hurried into the trees. As soon as he was looking the other way, she ducked behind one.

Ross stared through the gate at the chaos until a faint sound turned his head. He gasped, nearly losing his spectacles.

The tribal warrior perching on the top of the gate stared back at him with blood red eyes, crest glimmering in the early light.

"Ah," Ross stammered, clearly stunned to be seeing the infamous character up close.

Sheik's voice was brisk but gravelly. "Stay here."

The fumbling priest nodded. The Sheikah stood up. Ross thought he saw a small object in the warrior's hand reflect light into his eyes, but the second he blinked the Sheikah was gone.

The unexpected appearance of monsters had sent the people of Kakariko into some disarray. One Stalchild was smashing into a stand holding fresh produce, and the other was giving slow chase to a couple of frightened villagers. The bravest (or perhaps the most irritated) ones were trying to hold their ground against the feigns with sticks, while others stood on the outside edges and called for help. The guay swooped down and knocked off one

man's hat. Sheik crouched quietly on the nearest rooftop, unnoticed, above it all.

The sunlight that should've been dissolving the Stalchildren into piles of dust hadn't reached full intensity in the square yet. _That's likely why they're still there,_ Sheik thought, fingering the object in her hand. _I believe I can fix that_.

Bright flashes of light blinded the bird first. The guay crowed loudly, catching sight of the purple and white Sheikah sending rays into its eyes with a small mirror borrowed from Jessica's household.

A large woman pointed at the rooftop. "It's Sheik!"

A couple of cheers broke out from the villagers. Sheik redirected the mirror. The Stalchild chasing the villagers stopped and looked up at her with the hollows of its skull as its bones began to smoke under sunlight. It burst into a pile of ash.

More cheers caused the other Stalchild reared up, leaving the booth to stagger in the direction of the gathering. Sheik focused the sunlight once more. In a few seconds, the creature was a heap of rubble.

The villagers rejoiced, even though the guay was still demanding attention with shrill squawks. Sheik studied it through the yellow hairs that shaded her face while she slipped the ornate mirror into her pouch. Jessica was standing on the outskirts of the small gathering. Hopefully she hadn't noticed whose mirror Sheik had just used.

Zelda adjusted the scarf covering her mouth, calculating how much time she had before she ran completely out of magic. The guay would not be quite as simple to get rid of since it was unsusceptible to sunlight. The guay slowly dove at her; she rolled to the side.

A different kind of commotion rose from the square—a figure came running into town, sword and hair gleaming brightly. Zelda recognized him with a sense of dread in her gut.

The esteemed son of the duke, Lord Charles, in the flesh. Wearing shiny plates of armor, no doubt. "Fear not, Kakariko!" he shouted, raising his sword as he trotted toward them.

The villagers were rapturous. Why this character worked them up so much, Zelda could not tell. She ducked the guay again, withdrawing a knife from her pouch.

"You there! Sheikah!" Charles stopped several feet from the house she stood upon, arming himself with a long bow and an arrow. "I've got the bird!"

By Din, was he going to shoot? Sheik narrowly flipped out of the way as the projectile whistled past. Who was he trying to hit—the monster or her!?

Sheik regained her balance, which had been nearly lost in that tumbling act. The guay had flown out of reach but not out of range, so she put the knife away and whipped out a thin silver chain instead. While Charles reloaded his bow, she aimed, flicking her wrist.

The guay shrieked indignantly when the cord smashed into it. It reeled into mountainside, crying and squawking. Eyes glowering at her like a demon's, the creature began to flap toward her madly.

Charles launched another arrow that embedded itself in the roof next to Sheik's leg, distracting her as the bird swooped low. Its sharp beak seared across her left arm.

Zelda stumbled away, clutching her arm. The oaf! If she hadn't padded her disguise so heavily, that certainly would've been more than a small cut! The guay paid no attention to Charles and immediately circled back to her, shrieking and wobbling. The growing crowd continued to make an obnoxious ruckus below the rooftop.

Sheik grabbed the arrow in the roof and snatched it from between the tiles, thrusting it as the bird plunged at her. The creature impaled itself on the arrow with a loud screech, exploding into a plume of purple smoke and feathers.

Cheers rose up. A few other villagers had come out of their homes during the fight, joining the noise. Charles maintained his composure as he put his weapons away, smiling with dignity. Sheik pointedly glared at the man.

"Good work, chap," he called up to her as if nothing was amiss. Sheik's eyes narrowed.

The arrow in her hand embedded itself into the grass between Charles's feet. Charles stepped back, a wary look briefly displaying on his confident face. A couple of concerned mutters rose from the crowd.

"What's the meaning of this!?" he cried.

She folded her arms. "If you take up that bow ever again, I will hunt you down." At the stunned expression on his face, she added, "I don't tolerate incompetence."

He stooped down to retrieve the arrow, reluctantly laughing. A smattering of voices joined in. Slipping the arrow into the quiver, Charles shouted, "Tell you what, Sheikah! If you enjoy competent company that much, why don't you come down from there and have a dri—?"

The quiver on his back suddenly exploded. Charles stumbled to the ground, the scream of a frightened girl piercing his ear.

Confusion broke out again in the square, anyone standing nearby stunned by the flash and everyone else trying to figure out what happened. Charles recovered and threw off his quiver, shielding his eyes as if the whole thing might explode. People backed away in fear. The air was smokey from the explosion. Where were the monsters? Where was the perpetrator?

Charles realized after a few seconds that all of his arrows were still in place. Nothing had actually exploded. It dawned on him—he squinted at the rooftop.

The Sheikah was already gone.

* * *

The marketers were beginning to repair the damage to the market stands while the rest of townspeople began to gather to the shiny-plated newcomer as the abnormally exciting morning settled back into its calm, albeit busy routine. The village was already rife with gossip concerning Charles and the appearance of Sheik.

Maine pushed open the door of her cottage, flour on her hands. "What's the ruckus about?"

"Go back inside, Maine," a large man rumbled as he strode past, large butcher's knife resting on his shoulder. "The trouble's gone."

Maine put her hands on her hips. "What happened? I couldn't leave my stove."

"Some monster attack. They hit up a couple of stands. Nobody got hurt. The Sheikah got 'em first."

"You mean that Sheik? I'll be." Maine wiped her hands on her apron. "That devil's got me confused between whether he's a good guy or a bad guy."

"He's real quick," the muscly man grumbled, hefting his blade a little higher. As the owner of the town's general store, the bazaar, Grock didn't get to use his knife often enough anymore. "Didn't even give the rest of us a chance. He got rid of the monsters without even leaving the rooftops. Say, I think he mighta been on your roof!"

Maine and Grock both glanced up at the exterior of her cottage. Meanwhile, a loud voice reverberated in the clear mountain air as its owner stepped into town square. "Charles! Charlie!"

Mamamu Yan sauntered into town square in her large white gown, small white dog tucked into her left arm. She had practically appeared from thin air. "What a pleasant surprise, seeing you here!"

Charles sheathed his sword and ran his fingers through his groomed hair. A couple of nearby girls squealed excitedly to each other. "Hello, Mamamu Yan. A pleasure, as always." He bowed deeply, kissing the woman's outstretched hand.

"Well." The large woman primped her lofty bun, looking flushed. "You visit far too little. Whatever is the occasion this time?"

"Ganondorf's reign, isn't it?" A stooped, white-haired man in blue robes shambled from the entrance of Maine's. "He seized Hyrule seven years ago this day, didn't he?"

Mamamu Yan cast the old man a sour look, petting her little dog.

"Seven years and he still stinks!" A lanky man standing near the large palm tree in the west of the square slapped his knee. His brother, Lester, joined in jovially. "You got that right, Chester!"

"They speak the truth," Charles sighed, a somber expression taking his features. "Today marks the seventh year of our people under King Ganondorf's thumb. Incidentally, today is also the seventh anniversary of my older brother's death." He raised a hand to his heart.

Mamamu Yan put her hand over her heart as well. "How sad. I'm grieved by your loss, Charles."

Several villagers standing nearby murmured amongst each other as a young lady with a head full of wet, tangled hair came rushing around the back end of crowd. "Mother," she hissed urgently, approaching on the far side of Mamamu Yan.

"Child, what are you doing here?" The woman shifted the dog in her grasp as she turned to Jessica with hushed whispers, "You're not yet presentable! Your hair!"

"Jessica," Charles welcomed, spying her to her misfortune. She acknowledged the man with a small nod, trying to hide the mess on her head. "What brings you out here so early in the morning?"

"Oh, she rises with the sun." Mamamu Yan took a step forward as her daughter partially hid behind her skirts. "Naturally, since she leads such a busy lifestyle. What were you saying about your dear brother?"

I-I-I

The young Hylian maid returned from the mountainside at a moderate pace, securing the bandage over her right hand as she reentered the bustle. Zara had taken a considerable time to retrieve her mistress's things, but if anyone asked it was probably because the poor girl had gotten lost or forgotten her destination. She had a fresh bandage on her upper arm. Likely from another clumsy fall; Zara showed up all the time with those sorts of injuries. No one had noticed Zelda's prolonged absence this time except Jessica, who frantically motioned her over as soon as she was in eyeshot. Charles was in company. Zelda sighed. _Dear Nayru._

 _Zelda,_ whispered a voice in the wind as approached her employers. Zelda paused. Nothing. She shook her head.

Jessica was positively fuming when Zelda finally reached her, but she bottled it up in the presence of Lord Charles. Zelda tried not to find that amusing as she set the bucket down and began working on Jessica's hair.

"Zara!" Lord Charles' enthusiasm drew envious looks from the girls around Zelda, who was focused solely on her task. "Ah, I was wondering where you were off to!"

And here it was again. Zara, the dumb, mute maid, stealing all the attention of the fancy suitor visiting the girls who were clearly much higher in the social hierarchy. _Younger, too. No doubt the "prime" of their lives._ Zelda lowered her face to hide her laughing expression in her scarf. She really shouldn't laugh—it wasn't kindest thing of her to do, but…it was so funny! She could act like a stupid cucco and Lord Charles would still follow her around like a pompous puppy dog.

"Don't be shy, Zara," Charles said. Mamamu Yan shot Zelda a taut look, clearing her throat. The woman hated having Zara nearby when Charles visited Jessica, but she couldn't have Jessica in front of the man underdressed. Apparently, the idea to dress her themselves never crossed their minds. As Charles began pour compliments over her, Zelda had to actually turn her face away so she would not laugh. _Laughing will blow your cover,_ she reminded herself.

 _Zelda,_ the whisper came again. She sobered immediately. What was the source of this? She lifted her eyes to the rooftops, studying the patterns of clouds in the sky.

"And how you continue launder in Hyrule Field even in these dire times is admirable," Charles blathered. _I need to refill my magic,_ Zelda thought as she tied the last ribbon into Jessica's hair, which now looked less like an unruly mane and more like tasteful curls. Jessica turned to Charles with a poised smile, and Mamamu Yan announced loudly enough to draw everyone's attention, "Darling!"

Why they worked so hard to secure the affections of a man who flirted with all his maidservants as well as his noblewomen acquaintances was beyond Zelda's ability to comprehend. She collected the remainder of Jessica's hair things into the bucket and turned to leave the square.

"Zara! Where are you going?"

Mamamu Yan cut off Zelda's exit. In spite of Charles' actions toward the maid, Mamamu Yan smiled unusually wide at her.

"Zara," she said, spreading her free hand in a friendly gesture. Zelda was aware that they had the attention of Lord Charles now and things became crystal clear.

"You're such a good maid, darling. Helping Jessica look so lovely in time of crisis." She lightly touched her daughter's hair, eyeing the Lord. "Here. Your pay for the week."

With large, showy movements, she pulled out a white purse that had been tucked between her arm and the dog. Zelda untied a leather pouch from her middle and opened it so Mamamu Yan could drop a fat purple rupee inside.

Charles stepped forward, a charming smile on his face. "Aren't you a generous soul, Mamamu Yan!" He winked at Zelda. "But she did such a wonderful job—" he smiled at Jessica before continuing, "she certainly deserves a tip in wake of the chaos this morning."

Jessica blushed, averting her eyes. _How impressive—flirting with two women at the same time,_ Zelda thought as she held out the pouch for him as well. Glancing at her expectant expression, Charles withdrew a red rupee from his side and chivalrously slipped it into the young maid's wallet.

Zelda retired her pouch, feeling suddenly quite satisfied Charles had decided to drop by. Charles smirked at her as she did so. "Did you have any adventures while I was away, Zara?" he asked charmingly. Mamamu Yan's pleasant face soured slightly.

"Of course not!" The older woman laughed. "Zara is a good maid, but she doesn't leave the village except to launder—don't you, Zara?"

Zelda readily nodded, finishing the knot on her pouch. Charles offered a good-natured laugh. "Oh, but doing laundry in Hyrule field requires courage on it's own, don't you think?" He gave Zelda a small bow and added in a soft voice. "I think you're very brave, Zara."

Zelda nodded meekly. Mamamu Yan, she noted out of the corner of her eye, put her hands on her hips. She forced a smile. "Mmm! This maid is very busy Charles, so we mustn't keep her. Zara—you're free to go."

She sent the girl a look that meant she should leave now, so Zelda gave the group a humble bow and gladly took the opportunity to escape, leaving the bucket behind. It was not her fault that Charles was an outrageous flirt. Charles had always proven to be that way with women—in spite of his adamant declarations of love for the long lost princess. Zelda stifled a laugh. Charles did not suspect Zara to be anything but a quiet little maid. If only he knew who he was actually flirting with.

A low roll of thunder rumbled from Death Mountain as Zelda made her way up the stone steps. She glanced up. Unusual, fiery clouds were forming about the head of it. The villagers took no notice of them, bustling like normal as she passed by. _Strange_ , Zelda thought as she continued to walk. _The sky was clear a moment ago._

A chilling wind swept around her dress as she approached the medicine shop. She stumbled, an unfamiliar scene flashing across her mind's eye for the briefest of seconds—a sword in a pedestal. _What in Hyrule?_ She rested against the outer wall of the shop, attempting to compose herself. Her vision flickered again, and this time she saw a small green figure standing over the sword.

" _The boy's spirit slept in the Sacred Realm for seven years,"_ a low, old voice came drifting over the sounds of the townsfolk her. It occurred to Zelda that the voice was speaking directly to her mind, not from the wind. She incredulously braced herself against the wall. The scene of the small boy standing over the pedestal returned, more clearly. Zelda's chest constricted. _Link._

She was there suddenly, watching with disembodied eyes as her small Kokiri friend grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands and pulled it straight out. She gasped within herself. _Link drew the Master Sword. All this time, I thought I thought he was killed…_

Blue light flooded the chamber with the pedestal, and the young boy ascended into the air, body encased in luminescence. He and the sword and his fairy disappeared into the unseen depths of the Sacred Realm.

The vision changed. She saw a hexagon with different points of light at each joint, shrouded in darkness. The symbol of the Triforce glowed in the center, where a green figure stood with the Master Sword.

" _The Hero has awoken,"_ the elderly voice explained as the figure wandered about the hexagon aimlessly. " _But he cannot save Hyrule without your guidance."_ Zelda watched the hero dwindle and fall, the darkness eventually encroaching him. No!

It was then that another figure appeared at his side, one with two faces: the face of a warrior but also the face of a princess. Zelda recognized it—herself. The new figure took hold of the green one and guided him to each point of the hexagon, where he used the sword to dissipate the darkness. The face of wizened man came into focus.

" _The hero must awaken each of the seven sages of lore,"_ he said. On the hexagon, the hero and the warrior went around to every faded point of light, awakening the glow. " _Once awakened, the spirit of the hero and sages will have enough power to conquer the evil plaguing the land."_ Zelda watched as the light from each point, the light of the sword, and light from her own little figure all converged brightly on the towering source of the gloom beyond the hexagon. The beast in the shadows roared. It was eradicated in a burst of light, and so was the darkness.

Zelda's mind was spinning with her own thoughts. She still could not believe her Kokiri friend had not died seven years ago. And that there might be a way out of this awful darkness? It was too much to hope for. In fact, the possibility forced her to sit down, though she was still wrapped up in vision.

 _W-what needs to be done?_ she feebly questioned the old man, unsure if he could even detect her thoughts. The image of a Kokiri boy frozen in time remained in front of her eyes, drawing out the sorest of emotions. She clearly saw the Temple of Time, sitting untouched by the monsters outside of it, waiting patiently there with its empty pedestal of time. The elderly man spoke in a gentle tone.

" _I am Rauru, sage of the Temple of Light,"_ he said. " _I am ready to add my power to your friend's, but it is up to you to help him awaken the others. Five sages reside within their respective temples. The last is the leader of the sages, a figure of great wisdom and power who can only be awoken by the prevailing of great light in Hyrule. I tell you these things because you, Zelda, are the only being capable of guiding the hero on this quest."_

The images ancient temples flashed through her eyes, places she recognized from her travels as Sheik. Each was crawling with monsters. Her thoughts became exasperated. _I know of where you speak, but how could any mortal—much less a Kokiri—access the sages within the temples without dying?_

Rauru offered a small smile at her inquiry. " _I suppose you'll have to see his survival."_

Zelda closed her eyes tightly, even though it had no effect on the visions. Rauru's smile softened as if he could see the tension in her face. _"I know this is a fearsome journey, and it troubles you. But fear not. You can succeed. I did not have the power to reach your mind until the hero started to awake. Your destiny is deeply entwined in his, Princess."_

She sighed, heart thudding in her head at the prospect of overthrowing Ganondorf. _I suppose there's no option other than doing as you say,_ she replied, thoughts turning to her late father.

" _The forces of evil will know of the hero's waking the moment he descends from the Chamber of the Sages with the Master Sword. He will be weak, vulnerable, and confused. He does not know of the passage of time since he drew the sword. They will seek him out in this time of susceptibility."_

 _I understand,_ Zelda replied. _I'll reach him before Ganondorf's minions do._

Rauru's image began to fade, as did his voice. " _I suggest you hurry, princess."_

The spell holding the vision over Zelda's mind broke. She opened her eyes suddenly, thrust back into Kakariko village.

 _There's no way to be certain this is true unless I see that empty pedestal for myself_ , she decided, senses adjusting to the bright colors and sounds. It took a moment to register a tall person standing over her.

"Zara!"

Zelda squinted up at Grock. How long had he been standing there? She offered a lightheaded smile and accepted his outstretched hand.

"You alright, girl? You've been sittin' there for nearly five minutes!"

She nodded sheepishly and offered a large yawn, trying to make it look as if she had accidentally fallen asleep. Grock's bushy eyebrow raised.

"Don't go takin' naps outside the potion shop in the future, yeah? Miss Maine wouldn't have it." He patted her shoulder. She nodded.

Another man stood at the entrance of the medicine shop: Cameron, the somewhat shifty Hylian fellow who managed the place. "Has she been drinking?" he asked Grock, who only grunted. Still recovering from the vision, Zelda stumbled over to the smaller man, pointing insistently inside his building. _I need magic! Quickly!_ Grock slapped Cameron's back and returned to the bazaar.

The storm forming over Death Mountain thundered a little louder as Cameron shut the door behind himself. "Here for the usual, then?"

Zelda nodded, holding out an empty bottle and thirty rupees.

"What do you use all this stuff for anyway? I have to mix more every other day thanks to you." He filled her bottle with green potion before handing it back. "Here."

 _You would not believe me if I told you._ She accepted it with a nod, returning to the door.

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

Outside, Zelda headed up the hill to the Death Mountain trail, picking up her skirts. The activity above the summit meant trouble—her worries momentarily turned to the Gorons. _They'll have to hold on for now._ She hiked a ways up the canyon before unstopping the bottle and drinking some of the mixture. It tasted bitter, but she could feel the magic being restored to her veins.

Zelda corked the bottle and slipped it into her enchanted pouch, pulling out a golden lyre. Making certain she was out of sight of the village, she muttered a spell and her body flashed purplish white. Her maid-like appearance vanished, replaced by that of Sheik.

She plucked a few withdrawn notes on her lyre. She had avoided traveling to castle town for several years, knowing it was overrun with creatures of the undead. _At least I don't have to walk_. She strummed a hopeful tune on her mystical instrument. Moments later, she disappeared in a swirl of yellow.

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ Cliffhanger! Sorry, my sisters made me do it. This chapter was originally twice as long as this, but I chopped it in half for some reason. I write really long chapters. :D

Clarification stuff-so, if you hadn't figured it out already, Princess Zelda is the maid Zara in disguise. There will be more backstory on how this happened later. Zelda/Zara is also Sheik, which -if you haven't played Ocarina of Time for some reason (you need to get on that)- SPOILERS! Sheik appears male to most people, which can get confusing sometimes. Typically when Zelda is disguised as Sheik she continues to refer to herself as a "she" even though other characters refer to her as "he". Sorry if that messes with anyone's head, haha, I'll try to be really good about clarifying whose POV things are coming from in the future. Also, I use Zara/Zelda/Sheik interchangeably, so if I'm talking about any one of those three just know they are all the same person: Zelda! Lol I'm so CONFUSING!

If you have played Oot -GOOD FOR YOU- you know that I've made up a bunch of characters. Heh, sorry about that. I will eventually make a list of who is fake and who is real. And who I arbitrarily named.

On to Chapter three!


	3. The Hero's Awakening

Castle town marketplace had once been a cheery place. Now, like the rest of the land surrounding Ganondorf's fortress, it was infested with dark magic and all sorts of unholy vermin. Buildings that once housed life sat decaying on the edge of the streets; the stench of corpses rent the air. Thick, sulfurous clouds kept the world obscured in an eternal darkness that did not change with the rising of the sun or moon. Zelda had braced herself for the carnage, but not to this degree.

* * *

In a shower of magic, she found herself standing within Temple of Time. The building itself seemed timeless; nothing here had changed since she was child. Seeing it in person again filled her with nostalgia and powerful foreboding. She suddenly felt sick.

 _I don't know what I'm doing,_ she conceded, extracting a leather bound book from her pouch and flipping through its musty yellow pages. The symbol of the Sheikah was engraved into the cover. Zelda had long ago discovered this book in Impa's library. It had proved to be an essential part of becoming Sheik.

Zelda closed the book. She gazed at the detailed architecture of the building, striding slowly along the red carpet toward the altar where three Sacred Stones hovered. Eyes narrow, she studied the inscription.

 _The Ocarina of Time opened the door. The Hero of Time, with the Master Sword, ascended here._

The sick feeling intensified. Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to reflect on the times she'd spent with Link. No, this could not be. Inhaling, she peered down the dim corridor.

A sole window lit the pedestal of time. Zelda pushed the bangs from her eyes to see it more clearly upon her advance. It was like a dream. There was the legendary pedestal, sitting in the legendary hall. The stone base of the sword had a tiny carving of the Triforce.

It was empty.

Zelda felt her lungs constricting into the smallest possible form they could make while the rest of her insides twisted into knots. What Rauru told her must've been true. The sword was gone. It could only be pulled by the legendary hero…

 _Oh goddesses, I am going to be sick. All over the sacred pedestal._ Zelda crouched to try and contain her spinning head. She had made this happen; she had given Link all the tools to open the Sacred Realm. He had followed her instructions. Therefore she was to blame for Ganondorf snatching the Triforce. Zelda furiously rubbed her temples, standing up straight and turning from the chamber.

An eerie moaning drifted from the tall doors at the entrance of the Temple of Time. Zelda started toward it, grateful for a distraction to snap her out of her thoughts. Ganondorf would send legions of monsters to take down the hero while he was still weak. She thought momentarily about the temples, and again glanced at the book in her hand.

* * *

Blue light from the pedestal of time shone brilliantly around him as he descended from the fading Sacred Realm, just like it had when he pulled out the Master Sword. Link didn't open his eyes until they again touched ground.

Navi flew before him and gasped. "It's… just like it was before!" she exclaimed.

Link's left eye popped open, followed the right. He stared at the ceiling with Navi. "It's gotten smaller."

"No, you've just gotten bigger, Link."

He gazed around the chamber, turning to see if anything was different. "You're right, it's exactly the same." His voice reverberated off the walls. It sounded weird.

Navi sighed. "I wonder if seven years really have passed."

The sounds of fighting caught their ears. Link stepped down from the pedestal and toward the corridor curiously, Navi trailing behind him. "What the…?"

An unfamiliar person stood near the end of the hallway, fending off strange creatures as they tried to get in. The bandaged hands of Redeads grasped blindly for Zelda's face through the crack of the doors, moans and shrieks sending chills up her spine as she shoved them back. One had nearly shambled into the Temple before she had beaten it back, and now four of them stood groaning right outside.

"Uhh!" She grunted, leaning into the doors with all her strength. She would not let them terrorize this temple, nor this little hero. _Ganondorf, you fiend._ Unbeknownst to her, Link came rushing in from behind. An arm suddenly thrust into the door beside her head and it slammed shut.

She turned, gripping the arm and flipping the poor young man straight over her head. He crashed to the ground with an audible, "gah!"

"Who are you!?" Sheik demanded, glaring down at him with blood red eyes. The strange man coughed, a wild expression taking his face. She noted immediately he was armed with a sword and a shield and she instinctively withdrew a knife. "Where did you come from!?"

The man stumbled to get to his feet. "Hey, I was just trying to help!" he blurted. He scowled at her offensively, rubbing his arm.

Sheik's gazed narrowed, though the Link and Navi could not see the hesitation in her eyes. How had he appeared here? She quickly took inventory. He was a smidge taller than she. He wore a tunic of some sort, leather gloves, and boots. He was dressed to be in a fight, though his youthful face did not look like the kind to get involved in one. What in Hyrule was going on!?

The moans of the Redeads snapped up Zelda's attention once again. Link watched the Sheikah leap for the front doors, slamming them shut. "They will—not—hold!" the person angrily grunted. The Sheikah's red eyes fixed on him as he approached. "Stay where you are!"

Link stopped. "I'm trying to help you!"

"I do not know you and therefore will not trust you," Sheik informed him, voice brisk and grating. The weighted thuds of the undead beat against her back as she held back the door. The young man put up his hands defensively. _Strange,_ Zelda thought, noticing his messy blonde hair and blue eyes. Her heart was thudding so rapidly from the commotion she could not think straight. _He looks very familiar…_

"Just let me help." Zelda was positive she had never seen this young man before in her life—she certainly would have remembered—but even the sound of his voice struck a hollow chord. He reached for his weapon.

"Don't!" Sheik rammed the doors again. "I am here on a sacred duty to protect this temple, and mark my words, if you let these creatures in here, so help me—"

A bright blue orb of light with wings zipped out from behind the young man. "LOOK OUT!"

 _BAM!_ Sheik flew from the door as it opened, rolling ungracefully to the side. More half a dozen soldiers of the undead shambled in behind her. _Moaaaannn._ In a flash the young man drew his sword as his fairy cried "duck!" and unleashed a spin attack, slashing through the monsters in a burst of light.

Zelda scrambled to the side, watching in disbelief as two of the monsters dropped upon impact. Redeads, de-animated so quickly? As others stumbled and recovered, the lifeless forms on the ground began to dissolve. This was unbelievable. _They are being destroyed! What is this!?_

The young man thrust his weapon into the remaining creatures. She noticed that the shield he wore on his back was Hylian. Zelda's eyes flew to the sword and her heart stopped. In his hand was the legendary, purple-hilted blade she recognized from her time reading books as a young princess. _The Master Sword._ Her stomach lurched as she gazed upon the young man, heart filling with dread. She had made a terrible mistake. _Stop fighting! Turn away!_

A blood-curdling shriek ripped through the air, piercing Zelda's ears as paralysis took hold of her. The young hero froze mid-swing, unable to so much as cringe as the redeads grasped for him. She watched, helpless, as the nearest climbed onto his back. _Oh no!_

There wasn't so much as a gasp from him as the rotted corpse clung his body, skin paling as his life was drained right before her eyes. His little blue fairy zipped around him in panic, crying out. The spell binding Zelda broke suddenly and she sprung to her feet.

Slashing her fingers across the strings as she ripped it from her pouch, she plucked a tune on her bandaged lyre. Magic from the instrument filled the room. In an instant the sickly foes froze, turning from brown to white. The creature that had latched itself to the young man's back tumbled off.

The Sheikah returned her harp to her pouch as quickly as she had withdrawn it, surging toward the Redeads with daggers in hand and a gleam in her red eyes. Moans and shrieks filled the chamber as one-by-one they began to collapse.

"Help him!"

The fairy's shrill cry echoed in Zelda's ears. She turned right as the hero thrust his sword into the creature beside her. _The fairy was referring to me,_ Zelda understood, diving toward another redead. The white glow of the spell encasing them was wearing off.

"Why are there redeads in castle town?" he cried over the bustle, shield clinking against his sheath as he whirled toward the last monster. Sheik impaled it with several kunai. "Ganondorf."

He withdrew as the Redead dissolved, wiping his forehead wearily. Zelda carefully composed herself. It was astounding she had not seen it earlier. He looked just like Link, down to the floppy green hat and the blue fairy. She was simply not expecting him to be an adult.

"Are they gone?" he asked. Zelda nodded in a detached manner.

"That was close," the fairy chirped, wings fluttering. "Things have changed a lot in seven years, haven't they, Link?"

He straightened up. Green tunic, leather boots, blonde hair. Blue eyes. "I apologize," Sheik cut in lowly. "I had assumed you were a Kokiri."

He sheathed the Master Sword, turning to the Sheikah with a funny look. "I am a Kokiri."

Sheik folded her arms. "Kokiri are children. They remain children all their lives. They do not grow up. You are most certainly not a child."

Navi fluttered about him as he glanced at himself. "I didn't mean to grow up," he half-murmured, looking sorry. He glanced to his fairy. "Navi, did you know I could grow up?"

Navi's sigh was a tinkling noise. "The Great Deku Tree never mentioned it."

Link faced the Sheikah. "It might have been the sword…you see, I pulled it out, and afterwards there was this bright light and everything went white—" He stumbled forward and caught himself, eyes wide. "Zelda! Princess Zelda! Where's the princess!?"

Sheik was motionless. Voice even, she replied, "The princess has not been seen for several years."

Link looked distraught. "No, that can't be—I, I was going to find her, she asked me to—has it really been seven years!?"

Sheik nodded slowly. "It has."

"Oh no, she's probably in trouble. We have to save her." He drew his sword, eyes fixed resolutely on the exit. "Come on, Navi, let's go!"

"Wait." Sheik stepped in front of the young man, causing him nearly to trip over himself. "You have just woken from a long sleep in the Sacred Realm. You are weak. There are hordes of the undead out there."

Link scowled at her. "I can handle them."

Sheik's gaze was unfaltering, which perhaps was the reason he took a step back. "Listen to me. You're not ready yet. If you take on Ganondorf now, you'll kill yourself. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

Looking miffed, Link scanned her. "Who are you, anyway?"

Sheik sighed a little. The question grated at the sorest part of her heart. "I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah. I'm here to help you save Hyrule."

Link relaxed a bit, studying the mysterious person in front of him. The same crest Zelda's nanny, Impa, had worn was draped over Sheik's front like a banner. Rags covered his mouth and head, and yellow hair hid his face except for one red eye. Something about him seemed a little strange.

"Princess Zelda's caretaker was a Sheikah," Navi whispered into his ear. Link replied out of the corner of his mouth, "Then we can probably trust him."

Sheik decided to ignore their conversation. "'When evil rules all," she began to recite softly. "An awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages who dwell in the five temples. One, in a deep forest…one on a high mountain…one under a vast lake…one within the house of the dead… one inside a goddess of sand…"

He was silent. Zelda closed her eyes, continuing. "Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world.'"

His sudden inhale caught her off guard. "So there's a way to fix everything?"

Zelda opened her eyes again. "What I have just told you is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. If the legends are to be believed, then the awakening voice from the Sacred Realm is you, Link."

"Me?"

"Yes." Her gaze drifted from his stance to his sword. _Can he really be the legendary hero?_

Link glanced at the weapon offhandedly. "What's wrong?"

Sheik stiffened, straightening. _I must maintain my composure._ "If you believe the legends, and you want to save the princess, you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five sages."

He grimaced. "Five Temples? Where do I start?"

Sheik crossed her arms, gears whirring in her mind. _Where should he start?_ "One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple—a Kokiri girl I'm sure you know."

Navi gasped. "The Kokiri! We've got to make sure they're okay!"

Link's dark blonde eyebrows shot up. "Saria!"

"Because of the evil power within the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Unfortunately," Sheik murmured, "equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple where your friend is trapped. But if you do believe what I'm saying, head to Kakariko village. You'll find a weapon to aide you there."

Link said nothing, gazing from the sword to the exit behind her head. She watched him take a few steps over to the pedestal on the floor, studying it. He sighed.

"How bad is it out there?"

Sheik's expression faltered. _What do I say?_ "The world has changed a lot from what you used to know."

He glanced up with a deeper dismay in his eyes than she had been expecting. The guilt Zelda felt earlier intensified all over again. This was entirely her fault. By pulling the Sword, he had opened the realm and enabled the Triforce to be taken. Link had been sealed away for seven years of his life. His childhood was ruined. _And here I am, thrusting these things upon him the moment he wakes up._

Navi flew over, prodding him gently on the cheek. "It'll be alright, Link," she tinkled softly. "Remember, we can still find Princess Zelda."

His gaze quickly lit up. "Zelda!" He scowled sharply. "She's in danger! Sheik—do you have any idea where the princess is?"

Zelda forced herself to remain calm, clenching her hands into fists. "I cannot say," she replied briskly. "Ganondorf has been searching for her relentlessly, but so far she has not been found."

"Ganondorf has been searching for her!?" Link cried, sounding outraged.

"For good reason," Sheik cooly managed. "It is believed she holds the Triforce of Wisdom, one of the three pieces of the Triforce. He wants to take that power."

"I made a pact with the princess not to let Ganondorf get the Triforce," Link said gruffly, holding out his sword. "If he tries to get ahold of her—"

"Calm down." Sheik pointed the tip of his sword away. "From what I hear, the princess is safely in hiding. I will help you find the sages, and if all goes well, the princess. There is no need to expose her just yet."

He did not look pacified. Zelda had to remind herself he had the mind of a ten year-old in a seventeen year-old's body.

Navi, ever-so-helpful, floated forward in spite of Link's stubbornness. "What do we need to do first?"

Zelda sighed. "Like I said, your Kokiri friend needs rescue. Before you can get her, you must find the weapon hidden in Kakariko village. Do you understand?"

Link nodded, hat flopping enthusiastically. But his fairy zipped up to his face. "Link, you're still hurt from earlier, remember? Don't you have any potions?"

He hesitated, scratching his head. "I might have some milk…"

Zelda fingered her pouch, not desiring to discover what state his milk was in after seven years of curdling. Then again, maybe milk in the Spirit Realm did not rot. "She's correct. Drink this." She held out a half-empty bottle of red potion. Link raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks," he said, accepting and unstopping it. "Wait, you sure you don't need it?"

She shook her head. "You'll require all the help you can get."

He gulped down the potion, wiping his mouth on the back of his glove. "Can I keep the bottle?"

"No."

She returned it to her pouch. "I expect you're feeling better?"

He straightened, complexion already more colored again. "Yeah, I'm great, let's go!"

Sheik moved only slightly, expression skeptical. "Are you aware of what weapons you can and cannot use in your inventory?"

Link stopped, agitated. "It's fine, I've got lots of stuff—" He rummaged through his pouch, face scrunching up as he pulled out a sling shot. Sheik looked at it, unimpressed.

"That's far too small to use."

Link gave her a dirty look. "It's helpful!"

The Sheikah pointed at it. "It's made for children."

Link lifted it to his face, pouting. He withdrew a boomerang from his pouch and gave it a similar look with a groan.

"You're big now, Link," Navi chirped.

"I know," he grumbled, shoving the items back into his enchanted sack. He gripped the sword with both hands. "At least I can use this sword and shield."

Navi giggled. "The Hylian shield used to be so big you could hide underneath it!"

Sheik tensed as Link reminisced with his fairy. Memories from the past flooded her mind, bringing back painful emotions. _Ahh, stop, Zelda. Focus on the present situation._

"You'll gather more items as you begin your journey," Sheik coughed. "It's time to leave this sanctuary. If you have any more questions, you may ask me. Let us go."

Link fell into step at her side as they approached the entrance of the temple. "You're coming with me?"

She could not bring herself to look at him. "For the time being. You'll do much of your traveling on your own." _I shall spy on you and see whether or not you can manage to survive._

"Oh. Okay." Link readied his sword as they reached the doors. With a grunt, Sheik pulled them open. _No Redeads here._ She stepped out into the air, surveying the area. Link followed.

"What is that smell?" He pinched his nose. "Why is it so dark? What happened!?"

Zelda exhaled. The aura of evil encroached them the farther they walked from the temple. "Ganondorf's doing. Not long after he raided the castle, he consumed the town. It burned for three days."

"That's awful." Link's expression was mortified as they walked along the now dead brush. "It used to be so nice."

"It's been left to rot since then." Zelda carefully descended the crumbling steps. "Unholy creations haunt its remains."

They entered the heart of the marketplace with trepidation, faint moans and rustlings filling the stiff air. Navi zoomed into Link's hat.

"Is this what the rest of Hyrule looks like?" he asked, voice filled with despair.

Zelda gratefully shook her head. "Only castle town. A majority of the land is untouched, save the unseen consequences of Ganondorf's reign."

They paused, drinking in the scene of the marketplace. A flashback of how it had been the last time she was here with Link crossed her mind. Now it was a filthy, decaying hole. The fountain was filled with muck. Several Redeads stood or sat silently around its once lively streets, blending eerily into the brown-red colors of the town.

"If you get caught in the middle of all of them, you will be ravaged," Sheik whispered fiercely. "Which is why you must learn how to sneak past without notice. If one of them shrieks, stay as far away as possible. Otherwise, pray to the goddesses you'll survive."

Link nodded silently, eyes wide. She pointed toward the end of the street. "Head there. Once you leave the city, travel to Death Mountain. You'll find the village with a graveyard and the item you need."

He lowered his sword. "Aren't you coming?"

Sheik bowed stiffly. "I have to watch over the temple. You'll do best to go forward from here on your own, Link."

Her guts wrenched themselves when she saw the expression on his face. All too forcefully, the image of the little boy left standing by the drawbridge passed over her mind's eye. _I am not abandoning him,_ she managed, clenching her teeth. _He has to do this himself…_

Navi reappeared from his hat suddenly, sounding offended. "He's not alone! He still has me!"

Sheik coughed, unable to meet their eyes. "Of course." To Link, the expressionless Sheikah simply folded his arms and nodded his head. "Hurry."

Link gave Navi a determined look and nodded once, twirling the Master Sword. "Let's go!"

Sheik stood and watched, stiff, as he ran out into the marketplace. Several of the undead moaned and began to shuffle after his green-clad figure, but none got too close. Hat bobbing, he ran until he reached the outer streets untouched, passing out of sight. Thunder rolled overhead. Sheik released a ragged sigh, shoulders sagging.

Impa's voice would not stop echoing in her mind as she returned the empty temple. _"I needn't remind you Kokiri do not grow up, do I, princess?"_

Sheik dragged her feet across the tile, collapsing on top of the altar and watching the Sacred Stones spin. Her vision was blurry.

A different voice settled in her mind. _You seem down, Zelda_.

She touched one of Stones. "I thought he was dead."

 _He has been here,_ the kind, old sage whispered.

She sniffed. "I was certain he would be a child."

A sense of sympathy washed over her. _After seven years, he has matured._

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I do not understand."

 _It is his destiny, princess._

"But why him? Why not another?" Her expression turned spiteful. "I cannot protect him from the forces that seek to kill him—" She choked. "He may die."

Rauru's voice was tentative. She envisioned him watching from the Sacred Realm. _He possesses the reborn spirit of the hero,_ he whispered _. He will not die so long as you are there to guide him._

Old, buried memories of Zelda's childhood friendship were flooding outward now, unhindered. Tears slid down her cheeks. She hid her face in her bandaged arms, wishing she could return to those childhood years. Darker memories ensued…the long nights, alone, in the cold, sobbing…sobbing for weeks on end… Sheik's shoulders shook. _Now he is alive again and… and I cannot even ensure his safety…_

The face of the smiling young Kokiri boy made her feel like red-hot iron was being seared into her chest. The young man she had just encountered both soothed and intensified the pain. How could she call him by name and not break down into tears? _He does not even know who I am._

Rauru spoke to her once more. _Everything will work out in due time, Zelda._

She wiped her cheeks, shamefaced to have shed tears while under Sheik's cover.

"It is my duty to see to it, then," she decided, pulling herself from the altar and straightening up. It was going to hurt, but it would hurt more if she avoided him. She withdrew the harp. "I will make sure he lives."

She felt the old man's gentle spirit comforting her. _Good luck._ Plucking a quiet tune on her lyre, a swirl of light enveloped her as she once again returned to Kakariko village.

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_ RELEASED ON TIME! I DID IT! I BEAT THE DEMON! (procrastination) YAAASSSS!

Hello. Hope your day is nice. Mine is pretty good. Woke up at 1pm, but I stay up pretty late so it's fine. I'm in the crapboat now, though, cuz the next chapter is not together yet. AHHHHH it's okay, it's okay. I will get it done! I promise! *muttering to self* Hope y'all like this chapter! Love Link! Awww, he's my favorite :3

Enough craziness! Since I had rewritten this scene SO MANY TIMES, I actually decided to include an earlier version below! Thanks so much to every single reader, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you are fabulous souls :) and a big shout out to reviewers (THANK YOU!). Haha, okay, I'll stop with the silliness, (I'm really hyped today for some reason, I apologize). Onto the next chapter! Estimated release date: **July 10, 2017!**

* * *

 _ **Deleted Scene: Temple of Time (as promised)**_

 _"Sorry. I am waiting for someone." She sheathed her knife, deciding to trust this odd man. "The mission is very important. If you're really here to help, having a second line of defense against these demons would be nice."_

 _He frowned at her like she might throw him again. "Are you a Sheikah?"_

 _She nodded, sticking out a hand. He eyed it. "They call me Sheik."_

 _"I'll stay over here, thanks." He took a step back, just in case. "What are you doing in here?"_

 _Zelda sighed, placing her hand on her hip. "I told you, I'm waiting for someone." She glanced down the dark corridor, scowling slightly._

 _"Who?"_

 _Why so many questions? "The reborn spirit of the hero," she said, voice clipped. "One who comes from the forest." She folded her arms._

 _He raised his eyebrows. "A hero from the forest?"_

 _She nodded. "He's the one who pulled that sword, and the only one who can defeat the wicked Ganondorf."_

 _He scratched his messy blonde hair. "Geez, that's a lot to put on one guy…don't you think?"_

 _She squinted at him. "It's his fate. Why are you so interested?"_

 _His blue eyes widened. "Oh, ah, um…just curious." He sort of awkwardly shrugged. Zelda scowled, taking a step closer, and he stepped away._

 _"Do you know of someone like that?" She peered at him, walking over now. He backpedaled right into a pillar, scooting around it with his hands up. "Don't think so."_

 _Zelda followed him around the pillar. He continued to evade her, sliding over to the next one._

 _"What is your name?"_

 _He backed up to the altar. "Uhh…you want to know my name?"_

 _She strode forward adamantly. "Yes, your name!"_

 _He glanced over his shoulder, rolling up and over the place where the Sacred Stones lay. "It's—Mido!"_

 _"Mido!" She barely missed snatching the edge of his tunic. "Where does that name hail from?"_

 _He glanced at her, backing slowly into the corridor. "You know, for a Sheikah, you're really freaking me out."_

 _Sheik's eyes dangerously narrowed. "I have that effect on people."_

 _He made a face, and a bright blue orb of light suddenly zipped out of his hat. It had wings—a fairy. "What is your real name?"_

 _"Frido." He dodged her, running out of the corridor. She rotated, almost snagging his hat. "Bizbo, Poco! Whoa!"_

 _She faced him, frustrated. "Where did you come from!?"_

 _He held his hands up. "The Great Deku Tree sent me!"_

 _Her tense arms went limp. She stared at his features while the fairy flew around his head._

 _Zelda clenched her hand into a fist. "That—that's impossible! You—you were supposed to be a Kokiri!"_

 _The young man grimaced. "I am a Kokiri!"_

 _"No!" She could not help the shrillness of her voice. "You're all grown up!"_

 _He frowned, gazing down at himself. "Yeah, so?"_

 _Zelda plunged her fist into her forehead. "Kokiri. Don't. Grow. Up."_

 ** _-End_**

* * *

Ha, he just runs away. Psssh, Link.

Alright, that's it. Until next time!


	4. Saria's Plight

_**Author Notes:**_ Happy Fourth of July (for us Americans)! I'm uploading this a couple days early, my treat. Or trick. Whatever. It's my half birthday today as well if you need a reason to celebrate ;)

* * *

 _BANG!_

Silverware clattered off the table and onto the floor. The squawking of keese filled the air while skeletons rushed to gather the fallen utensils.

" _What!?"_

A knight dressed in dark armor bowed before the table, trembling slightly. "A boy left the temple with the sword of light, my lord. W-we saw it with our own eyes."

Ganondorf's fist slammed into the wood a second time, yellow eyes glowering. The dark knight must have known it was his end, for he simply dropped into a deep, pleading bow. The king raised one hand, unsympathetic, and clenched it in the air. Without so much as a sound, the unfortunate messenger dissolved into wisps of purple dust.

The Gerudo muttered below his breath as a small skeleton clambered over to take care of the mess. "Idiot." He glanced toward the door. "Someone get Koume and Kotate!"

His bellow had not even bounced off its third corridor when the old twins could be heard shrieking through the fortress. Ganondorf's cold expression did not change. A feisty wind blasted open the doors of his vast dining chamber, billowing over his figure. Slowly, it settled.

 _Poof!_ Twin hags appeared in the air before Ganondorf, circling on broomsticks.

"You called, my lord?" they sang in unison.

The dark king placed both fists on the table, unamused. "I've just received news that the brat kid in the Sacred Realm is awake," he growled. "Show me truth!"

The witches descended until they were level with him. "This should be good," Kotate cackled. They swirled their hands, withdrawing a gleaming crystal ball from plumes of smoke. It floated down to the table, which it rested upon. "Show us the boy with that blasted sword!" Koume barked.

The mysterious ball changed color, translucent radiance going dark purple. Ganondorf leaned forward slowly, resting his elbows on the massive dining table. The foggy ball faded to gray, revealing blurry, moving blobs.

"That is nothing," he roared in disapproval.

"Sh," they chided. "Don't swipe at the ball!"

The blobs began to sharpen. The image of a figure in green became clear, venturing through the town ruins. A radiant sword bounced in his left hand as he ran.

"So it is true." The male Gerudo's voice was low. He leaned back, twining his fingers together.

"Curse that sword," Koume spat. "That child would be no such threat without it."

"Curse it and those sages," Kotate echoed. "They might awaken with it!"

Ganon studied the crystal ball thoughtfully. "A minor annoyance," he grumbled, waving his hand. "We can crush that kid easily before he gets far."

One of the witches gasped, causing the other two to look at her. "He bears the Triforce of Courage!"

Her sister swore, and Ganondorf perked an eyebrow. As soon as she said the words, the sacred symbol appeared on the back of the boy's hand, unbeknownst to its bearer.

"I'd forgotten," the King of Evil muttered. "It's been lurking within him. This complicates things."

"This complicates nothing," Koume spat. "Crush him before he learns how to use that miserable sword! Then the Triforce will be yours for the taking!"

Kotate hissed in agreement. "Yes, crush him! Quickly!"

"Fools," Ganondorf bellowed. "Even with Courage in my possession, the Triforce of Wisdom still eludes us. One is worthless without the other!" He splintered the table with his fist. "Show us the other Triforce! The princess!"

The clear image swirled again, shifting to purple. As they watched, eyes gleaming, the crystal ball clouded over with ink. Within seconds, its surface was completely black.

"She's still obscured from our sight," one of the old hags observed in disdain.

Ganondorf roared in frustration. In an unnecessary show of power, he upended the table and threw it, sending the remains of his chopped sirloin breakfast all over the floor. The crystal ball soared back up to the twitches instantly.

"I've been searching for that princess for SEVEN YEARS!"

Ganondorf's rage echoed through the nearest passageways, sending any monsters within hearing range scattering for cover. In seconds, only the twin witches and their crystal ball remained in sight of the king.

"She's been a tricky one, that little girl," one hag clucked, spinning the crystal ball between her spindly fingers. "But her cunning is at an end! The spell that cloaks her whereabouts will be broken the moment she reveals herself, and—"

"That the boy and that sword are awake," her twin continued. "It won't be long before she makes an appearance. Her fate will be sealed the moment she does!"

The crazed old ladies laughed, soaring upward on their broomsticks. Ganondorf's temper cooled ever so slightly, features contorted in an ugly scowl. He crossed his arms as pondered their words. "The faster we end the brat kid, the faster we draw out the princess and finally complete the Triforce," he rumbled aloud. "You two! What's his next move?"

"Us two!?" Kotate and Koume howled, far above Ganondorf in the air. "You hear that, sister? I believe he was referring to us!"

"I believe he was!" the other echoed. They screeched mournfully.

"We've fallen so far!"

"Indeed!"

"What does he think we are, traveling gypsies!?"

Ganondorf had had enough. "SILENCE!"

A sharp clap of lightning shook the castle, reverberating throughout the entire fortress. The castle fell dead silent.

The Gerudo King glared at the old sisters, yellow magic angrily fizzling around him. "Answer me clearly," he demanded.

"You become rash when you're angry," Kotate harrumphed, appearing before Ganondorf with the crystal ball. Koume appeared next to her, pointing a scraggly finger on the glassy surface while adding, "Behavior not befit for a king of the world!"

"Get on with it!"

Koume swirled her finger. "The boy plans to awaken the ancient ages," she chanted in a low voice. "If he succeeds, your power will be weakened."

"You must not let that come to pass," Kotate warned.

Ganondorf still had not calmed. "I will make certain he DIES before that!"

"Not so," the elderly women rebuked in a single, monotone voice. The ball suddenly lit up. "There is another assisting him."

The crystal ball showed a red-eyed Sheikah crouching alone on a rocky shelf, observing something in the distance. Ganondorf growled. "OUTRAGEOUS!" He narrowed his eyes maliciously. "The time was past long ago for that _Sheikah_ to face my wrath!"

The twins gave no reaction. "If the Sheikah remains unopposed, the chosen one will find a way to the temples," they muttered. "He must be stopped."

Ganondorf clenched his hand. "How do you expect me to accomplish these things?"

"Expand your power," the twins advised. "Overwhelm the sages before the awakening call can reach them. Increase your forces tenfold!"

An unexpected grin cracked across Ganon's face. He raised one open fist. Skeletal hands broke through fissures in the ground. New monsters swirled into existence feet from where he stood.

The crystal ball vanished into thin air and the twins suddenly returned to normal, looking on the newly formed creatures clawing from the earth with glee.

"Gather the strongest monsters in the castle," Ganondorf commanded in a soft voice. "And get me my shadow."

The wicked old hags looked far too pleased to take the order. "Yes, my lord!"

Within minutes, monsters of every shape and size filled the dining hall, moaning and growling and gurgling. All eyes were on the king. One particularly menacing apparition hovered before Ganondorf, form shrouded in darkness.

"You will make absolutely certain the kid doesn't awaken that sage in the forest," Ganondorf ordered.

The phantom's sinister eyes were the only indication of any features. "It is already done, my lord," he pledged, voice unnervingly deep.

Ganondorf's expression did not change. "If you fail, I will make you wish you _could_ die." He waved him off.

A ghostly horse appeared from thin air beneath Phantom Ganon, and he laughed, riding straight through the blackened wall.

"The same goes for each of you," Ganon growled to the rest of his powerful lackeys. "Don't disappoint me."

The moans and gurgles turned into excited chortles and snorts. Ganondorf sent them off with another disinterested flick of his wrist. Watching from their place on their broomsticks, the old Gerudo women began to cackle as the monsters stampeded from the dining hall.

"It will be a very short time indeed before you have dominion over the entire world!"

Ganondorf smirked. The golden insignia of the Triforce of Power gleamed from the back of the man's hand, matching the color of his eyes. "I want you two to make sure they follow through," he ordered gruffly.

The sisters cackled more intensely, turning to one the other.

"Kotate!"

"Koume!"

"There will be no threat to worry about if we get rid of those pesky sages ourselves!"

"Brilliant idea, sister!"

The witches began to shriek, circling each other high up in the air. A wind tunnel formed as they swirled, growing stronger and stronger until they vanished in a tornado of hot and cold air.

The King of Evil grinned wickedly to himself.

* * *

Sheik crouched on a high ledge above Kakariko, unfocused gaze on the bustling village below.

 _Seven years… the past seven years… he was there…_ right _there…_

What had she been doing during that time? For the most part, she was here, in Kakariko, avoiding Ganondorf. Since uncovering her ability to teleport using the ancient royal family heirloom, she'd also explored much of Hyrule. She hadn't imagined _he_ was unconscious within the depths of the temple, trapped by the flow of time.

Sheik shook her head, rubbing her cheek. _Is this truly possible?_ Her chest felt tight. Here she was, awaiting the arrival of Link. _This is just the way I acted seven years ago. The question is—am I as delusional now as I was then?_

 _The heavy wooden door swung open, startling the little girl from her sleep._

 _"Here… bring him here…"_

 _She sat upright in her cot, heart beating. A large, unfamiliar man rumbled through the doorway, an unconscious person hanging over his shoulders._

 _"Found this one, too…" he grumbled, voice low. "The monsters sure are vicious…"_

 _The heavyset woman standing in the kitchen hushed him, nodding toward the refugees snoring in the cots beside Zelda. "Set him down on the chair, I'll give him a look."_

 _The little girl watched with wide brown eyes. Her heart rate increased as the big man set the wounded person in the chair._ Was it…!? _She noticed his bushy beard and her hopes fell just as suddenly._

 _"A whole bunch of 'em were found just outside the village," the large man mumbled to the woman, motioning over his shoulder. "They just keep coming, even after it seems there won't be any more. Can't blame 'em"_

 _"Oh my," she whispered, examining the stranger with a damp rag and bandages. "Yes, this fellow's seen quite the beating. Show me the others."_

 _The big guy turned, opening the door. The caretaker of the cottage trailed over the threshold after him. Zelda scurried out of bed as they left, tripping over her coarse nightgown as she reached for the doorknob. Voices from outdoors filled the cottage as she heaved it open._

 _Dusk made it difficult to see even as she stepped outside. Several figures moved through the heart of the village, indistinguishable from each other. Some carried torches. Her heart beat like a frantic little bird trapped in her ribcage._ He must be among the stragglers!

 _She got closer, peering between legs and around skirts. Her hopes soared when she noticed a child clinging to the robes of a ragged-looking woman._ It's him! It's—

 _The child turned, crying to her mother. It was a young girl, younger than herself. Zelda's heart dropped like it'd fallen from the top of a canyon._ He has to be here, _she thought, running to the entrance of the village. Strands of short hair hung in her desperate eyes._ Link must have survived… he must have…

A low rumble from the mountain snapped Sheik from her thoughts, causing the ledge on which she stood to tremble. She caught her balance. _Huh?_

Kakariko stewed nervously down below. Zelda scowled. Certainly, the mountain was not the cause of such a tremor. She glanced at the sleeping volcano, a sick feeling in her stomach. _No… it's never awoken before…_

Sheik folded her arms, wondering what _else_ could have been sleeping for seven years that was waking up today. Link still had not shown, though the villagers were clearly unsettled. _"After seven years, he has matured." Perhaps he has grown up a little, but how?_ How is it possible?

Zelda spent another dollop of precious magic, transforming instantaneously into a maid as she stealthily made her way into town. _I'll focus more properly on my mission if I ensure the town is safe,_ she reasoned. She'd hardly set foot on the road when she was nearly run over by a large person barreling in the other direction.

"Sorry, Zara!"

What was he rushing toward? Oh, it was Hani, the owner of the archery range. _He's probably fetching materials for his brother again. How many things does that man need?_

Zelda wove toward Maine's cottage, scurrying down the steps. Several people hovered outside the door of the house, whispering to each other in hushed tones. Many worried that the mountain would live up to its name in past years, and Zelda held the same fear in her heart. Skirting around the crowd, she wormed inside.

The moment the door opened, Zelda's Kakariko caretaker glanced up from the stool on which she sat on the far end of the room, rough scowl melting into a relief. "Oh, Zara, it's just you," Maine sighed.

 _What's wrong?_ Zelda closed the door as a man coughed, drawing her attention to the figure laying in the cot next to Maine. The woman herself was patting his forehead carefully. "Good thing you're safe," she huffed. "All sorts of hullabaloo is going on today! This poor fellow came straggling into Kakariko while you were gone. He's delirious. Said monsters were right up his tail the whole way here!"

The man groaned, licking his chapped lips. "Mm…mmmilk…"

Zelda's eyes widened as she studied the stranger. He sported a round belly and a strong brown mustache. _That's Talon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch._ Zelda shook her head, trying not to look as perturbed. What had driven him all the way to the mountains!?

Maine's pots and pans suddenly began to rattle as a quake much larger than the first swept through the earth. The woman paused wiping the man's forehead to meet Zelda's gaze sharply. "What in the—?"

The rumbling worsened, followed by a distant roar. Zelda reached for the door. Stumbling outside, she saw smoke and ash billowing from the summit of Death Mountain, raining fire into the sky. _Oh no._

A woman distantly screamed. Adrenaline pumping, Zelda made a hasty dash for back wall. The ground shook again as she ran, sending her sprawling. _This is not good._ Picking herself up again, Zelda climbed the ladder to the windmill as quickly as she could.

 _That evil man has already uncovered our plan to awaken the sages._ Zelda hurried to the edge of the windmill, withdrawing her lyre and muttering a spell. _Flash!_ She stepped out from the other side as Sheik, strumming the Bolero of Fire on its strings. Red light consumed her, and in the next moment she stood in the mouth of the volcano, surrounded by intense heat.

Sheik coughed. Gorons distantly shouted to one another from outside the cavern, " _goro-goro!"_

The ground shook violently, causing her to fall. Without warning, a snake-like dragon came up out of the lava, piloting itself eerily into the air. _Blast it all,_ she cursed. Zelda'd never seen a monster like this before, but it radiated dark energy. _This massive creature must be the reason for the condition of the mountain,_ she concluded. _If it continues disturbing the volcano like this, things do not bode well for the Gorons or the Hylians!_

It floated above her head, shrieking as it flew around the cavern. Sheik jumped to her feet. What Ganondorf intended to do was eliminate all chance of the sages' awakening. _The other temples!_

Her fingers danced impatiently over her lyre. There was a swirl of blue as she plucked out the Serenade of Water, and the encroaching hot air in her lungs suddenly lifted. Sheik found herself standing on a small outcrop of land in a vast lake.

One look around confirmed her awful suspicions. _The water is receding!_ Slipping the instrument inside her pouch, she dove into the lake, praying the water enchantments to her clothes were still active. The water level was draining rather rapidly, and as she swam toward the Zora's domain, she saw an even bigger reason to panic. _The entrance—it's solidifying into ice!_

With a desperate surge of energy, Zelda forced her way through before it was entirely sealed off. Chill bit into her body more painfully than the heat of the volcano. She surfaced on the other side with a gasp. Flustered cries for help filled the cave that held the Zora's domain.

 _What's going on? Only those with permission from the royal family know of this location!_

Sheik swam to shore and pulled herself onto hard-packed soil, realizing with a start that the two figures swirling above their heads on broomsticks were the ones causing chaos.

"Keh-he-he!" The blue-jeweled witch, Kotate, was pointing her broom at the helpless Zoras and encasing in them ice. A sheet of ice several feet deep was creeping over the entire Zora pool. Sheik slipped into the shadows and fled up the staircase to the Zora King, catching the eye of one of the old hags.

"It's that nasty Sheikah!" The twins circled one another, shrieking. Sheik darted out of sight, hoping she could reach the King before they did.

"Help! Help!" A Zoran man at the foot of the waterfall waved to her as she splashed into the basin. Changing course, she raced over to the man, reaching out to grab his fin. The ice had already crept up the waterfall and trapped his leg. Sheik tried to yank him out. "Hold on!"

"Ka!" A stream of ice shot from the tip of Kotate's finger. In only a second, the Zora was frozen solid, becoming one with the rest of the frozen river. Sheik leapt away, barely avoiding icy entrapment. "Almost got you," the witch cackled. She dashed back the other way.

"King Zora, you must leave," Sheik breathlessly shouted. Icy blasts chased her up the tunnel. "Quickly, go—go!"

The great big Zora King did not stand even a glimmer of a chance. As she raced up the side of the dirt wall, the witches appeared in the throne room, freezing the Zora king to the spot. "Ka-ha, what will you do now!?" They aimed for her and she dodged, slipping away toward the basin beyond the King.

They did not immediately follow. Instead, they began to chant something in a strange tongue. "Fire ice!"

Sheik burst into the Zora's fountain. The hulking mass of Lord Jabu-Jabu

was nowhere to be seen; instead, a blue figure knelt, sobbing, at the end of the pier.

Sheik cupped her hands around her mouth as she splashed toward the girl. "YOU MUST LEAVE!"

The Zora princess glanced up, piqued. "Who are you!? I am princess Ruto!" She lifted her nose as Sheik came into view. "How dare you interrupt me!"

Sheik barreled onward, ignoring her whines. "The rest of the Zoras have been overtaken by Ganondorf's minions! You must leave this place—"

The wicked witches flew in from behind Sheik at that moment, cackling madly. Ruto gasped as they soared toward her.

"There you are, little Zora princess!"

Sheik tackled Ruto and threw them both off the end of the pier. _Splash!_ Water filled her nostrils. The witches' magic blasted toward them. Sheik launched off a rock and shoved Ruto out of the way, narrowly missing the blast.

Her royal stuffiness flailed out of Sheik's grasp. "Don't touch me!"

Sheik treaded water, red eyes narrowing. _With pleasure._ Another blast hit the water at Sheik's back a split-second later. Ice expanded from the hit. She coughed, surging forward. "Swim!"

Ruto did so. Sheik managed to grab hold of her ankle, to the Zora princess's utmost displeasure. The witches hovered only a few feet behind, shooting plumes of ice every couple of meters.

Sheik had no handle on the situation, since she could not open her eyes or mouth without either filling with water. She could only hold tight as Ruto swam fearfully around the lake. There was no way out.

The evil twitches squawked with glee as their prey realized their impending doom. An idea sprung to Zelda's mind. She stuck her head over the waves. "Go to the cave!"

Ruto clearly had no idea what she was planning, but banked left sharply and raced for the crack in the side of the cliff face. Its entrance was several feet above water level. Zelda could only hope as the old women chased them that Ruto had some way of propelling them onto it—

She was not disappointed. Ruto abruptly dove, dragging Sheik all the way under for a terrifying three seconds, and then swam upward with incredible force. They flew out of the water, spinning weightlessly for a moment before crashing onto hard rock.

 _Ouch._ Sheik coughed, expelling water from her lungs as the witches raced up to greet them. Acting more quickly than she hoped possible, Sheik leapt to her feet and clapped her hands together. A fierce wind enveloped her and the Zora princess, then a blazing ball of green light. _Farore's Wind!_

The cackling from the old hags faded as Ruto and Sheik found themselves transported into the air directly above the small island in Lake Hylia. Sheik hit the ground with a resounding thump, air thrust from her lungs.

 _Thank Nayru that worked,_ she heaved, taking a moment to regain her breath. Ruto panted heavily beside her. The Zora princess was clearly a mark for Ganon's minions, meaning she was likely the Sage of Water. Did they have to freeze all of Zora's Domain just to come after her?

Ruto suddenly inhaled, probably having experienced the same thing Sheik had. "What—what was _that_!?"

Sheik rolled over, still struggling to catch her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to Ruto stumble to her feet beside her with exclamations of pain. _Luck. Pure luck. I cast that warp point days ago._

"How did we get here so suddenly!?"

Sheik's red eyes opened again rather unwillingly. _Perhaps not so lucky._ She glanced at the bandages peeling off her soaked clothes. "Magic."

Ruto did not sound appeased. "I already _know_ that!"

Sheik sighed, slowly getting on her feet as well. The Zora princess put her hands indignantly on her hips, glaring at the Sheikah. "Who are you!?"

Zelda wrung the wrappings out. "I am Sheik."

Her eyes narrowed. "What were you doing in my home!?"

 _Is she going to question everything I do?_ "I was trying to save your people," Sheik said pointedly. "Those witches just froze over the entire Zora Domain."

Ruto glowered. "Them!? The ones chasing after me!?" She gasped, pointing a finger. "You led right to me!"

Sheik gave her a low scowl. "I did not lead them to you, I saved your life!"

The blue woman rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "I hardly call _that_ saving my life!"

Sheik wrung out her clothes a little harder, voice as low as her eyebrows. _I'm not enjoying this conversation._ "Ganondorf seeks your life. You must find a place to hide. Your home is a block of ice and Lake Hylia is draining, in case you hadn't noticed."

Ruto walked over to the edge of the tiny island, frowning at the incredibly receded water level. "This is your fault!"

"This is Ganondorf's doing, not mine. He's trying to cut off the ancient temples so the chosen hero cannot access them."

"Whatever. I don't care _who_ did it!" Ruto growled. "That was my family, and somebody _—_ ANYBODY _—_ is going to pay for what happened!" The fish-woman's glare suddenly changed. "Did you say hero!?"

Sheik scowled, but she did not reply. Ruto abruptly clasped her hands together. "It couldn't be, could it? I mean, it's been so long, but…who's this hero?"

The feeling in Zelda's gut told her she would regret answering that question. "His name is Link."

The sparkle in Ruto's eyes suddenly lit to a bonfire. "Link, my _Link_!? I knew he would return!" She spun around frivolously. "After seven whole years! This is wonderful news! He's finally come back!" She frowned at Sheik. "He still has my engagement ring, that despicable man!"

Sheik rolled her eyes, feeling irritated. "You need to keep careful watch of the water temple until the hero returns. Your father is entrapped with the rest of your race, so the duty falls to you."

Ruto's cross expression returned. "My beloved Link will help me save my people. He saved me once before, you know."

Sheik pulled out her lyre. _This person is completely psychotic._ "Yes, he seems to have a knack for doing that. Let us pray he does it again, for the sake of all of Hyrule."

Ruto scoffed. "He makes a much better rescuer than you, anyway. So brave and kind!"

Zelda rubbed at the headache forming behind her temples with her free hand. "We're running out of time. I advise you one more time find a safe place to hide before Ganondorf's underlings return because they certainly will."

"I have to find a way off this stupid island you trapped me on first," Ruto mewled. "My scales will shrivel up and peel off in the scorching sun before I find a suitable pool of water!"

 _I'm sure you'd fall right into the lake if I gave you a shove._ Sheik shook her head. "Best of luck."

All too happy to flee, Zelda flung a handful of deku nuts at the ground, causing them to flash open with a bang. Ruto yelped and covered her eyes as Sheik swiftly strummed another song on her harp. _Here's hoping Link has reached Kakariko and found the hookshot. Things aren't looking good for the Sage of the Forest._ Her surroundings disappeared as she completed the song, becoming encased in a tornado purple magic.

The mountain was still grumbling when Sheik materialized in Kakariko's graveyard. Fortunately, it had not yet exploded, though it was now rimmed in red. _Link?_ She scanned the area, stomach twisting into a knot with the expectation of seeing a familiar green tunic. The graveyard was completely empty, however, aside from the poes that occasionally floated between tombstones.

 _Strange._ Sheik dropped to the marshy ground, noting that Dampé's tombstone was sitting exactly the way it had been before. Sheik crept nearer, wrinkling her nose. _This is untouched. Link should have been here by now._ She darted toward the entrance of the graveyard. _Where is he?_

Her footing was lost as an unexpected vision forcefully came on behind her eyes. Zelda slammed onto her back, windless and blind. _What!?_ All at once, the only thing she could see was sinister-looking form on horseback. _What is this?_

The scene shifted and in the next moment she saw Link racing through Hyrule Field. In the distance, a little girl screamed and a deep voice laughed. On Link's face was a determination like none other as he plowed onward. _What? What is he—_

The thing that was leading him off course caused Sheik to choke on her own spit. An eleven year old girl flailed under the arm of the dark horseman she had seen seconds earlier. _That girls looks exactly like I did seven years ago._ The horseman was racing through Hyrule Field and the green-clad hero was in hot pursuit. Dread filled her from head to toe as she understood what she was watching.

Zelda sat flat on her rump, scowling, as her normal vision flickered back into place. _I should have known this would happen,_ she muttered. He had directly disobeyed her instructions to chase after some figment of Zelda. _If only it wasn't so ironic._ She stood, attempting to brush herself off and feeling more ticked off by the second. _The Sage of the Forest is in danger. Now we have to waste time backtracking._ She plucked a new tune, expression rather dark as she was enveloped a swirl of light.

* * *

Navi zipped after him at top speed. "Link!"

Far ahead, the young man in question finally came to a stop with his hands on his knees, panting. Navi flew right up to his cheek.

"You stopped! Hooray!"

Link threw a glance over his shoulder, so winded he could not speak. She seized the opportunity and grabbed his ear. "You've gotta listen to me, Link! Stop chasing that thing! It's a trick!"

He shoved sticky blonde hair out of his eyes, looking vexed. "I've almost caught it, Navi," he wheezed.

"Don't!" Navi tinkled loudly in his ear. "You're still weak!"

Link scowled, straightening in spite of his exhausted composure. "I'm okay, alright! I'm just not really used to this body!"

Navi winced. "This isn't good, Link! Remember Sheik? He said there was something important to get at Kakariko Village to help save the sages! Turn around!"

The terrified scream of a young girl drifted through the trees. Link's blue eyes went stone cold. "I don't care about the sages, or whatever Sheik said. We've got to save her." He wiped his forehead on the back of his glove. "Once Princess Zelda's out of danger we'll help save the sages."

A cutting voice interrupted him before he could make a move. "That's a bit harsh."

Navi gasped and Link stiffened, drawing his sword. There was no need to ask who it was—they could tell by the voice. The sweat on Link's brow went cold as Sheik suddenly dropped down beside them from the tree branch he'd been standing on.

"Sheik…"

The sole visible red eye of the Sheikah glimmered like it had been bathed with blood. "I thought you were a hero," Sheik said, tone cutting. He crossed his arms. "Not a traitor."

Link lowered his sword, looking grim. Navi flew into his hat with a squeal. "Sheik—how did you get here?"

Sheik coldly narrowed his eyes. "The ways of the Sheikah are mysterious indeed."

Link swallowed, throat suddenly drier than a desert.

A deep, bellowing laugh accompanied the abrupt appearance of an enormous dark figure on horseback behind them, making both of them jump in alarm. _What in the!?_

The frightening being stared menacingly, its two bright eyes gleaming from its dark hole of a face. The distinct figure of eleven year-old Princess Zelda was struggling in his arms. Sheik's eyes widened while Link angrily lifted his sword. "Hey! Put her down!"

The man guffawed. His horse reared, causing the boy to stumble backward. The princess cried out desperately. "Help me!"

The dark rider turned and galloped into the forest. Gripping his sword, Link surged in the direction they'd ridden right as Sheik leapt in the way.

Link fumbled, just about impaling the Sheikah with his sword. "Watch out!"

Sheik dodged with a flicker of movement. "Stop giving chase, that was an illusion."

Link tried to skirt around Sheik, but he was without luck. "Hey! Get out of the way!"

Sheik held her ground. "The person you're pursuing is not Zelda, hero. Zelda is seven years older than you remember her."

Link stopped, scowling at Sheik. "What?"

Sheik folded her arms. "Look at yourself. Do you look the same as you did seven years ago? No. Neither does she."

It was as if she'd screwed a loose lightbulb in his head. His eyes lit up. "You're right!"

She frowned, quickly adjusting the covering over her mouth as he gawked. Link suddenly gave himself a look over. "I don't even know what _I_ look like yet," he moaned. "How am I supposed to figure out what Zelda looks like!?"

Navi reappeared, bright blue luminescence even brighter in the dark forest. "You look wonderful, Link!" she exclaimed, swirling around him.

He grimaced awkwardly. "Uh, thanks, Navi. But what about Zelda?"

Sheik quietly ensured her damp disguise was still intact, feeling nervous. "That's a discussion for another time," she interrupted anxiously. "You need to find the hookshot and save the Kokiri. The Great Deku tree isn't around to protect them anymore, remember?"

His ear twitched and the astonished expression on his face returned to alarm. "Oh no, the Kokiri!" He put his hands to his head. "I forgot!"

Navi tinkled like a bell. "We have to go to the Kokiri Forest right now!" she cried. "Hurry, Link!"

"Saria and the others," Link muttered, suddenly turning from Sheik. "I hope they're okay!"

Sheik sighed in relief. "You still require the item found in Kakariko," she managed as he began to run in a different direction. "You need it to save your friends!"

Link didn't turn around. "We've just gotta check on them!"

Zelda frowned. _It would be much more efficient to retrieve it now, but how in Hyrule can I persuade him otherwise?_ She trailed after him. "You cannot enter the temple without it," she yelled, breaking into a run.

"What temple!?"

She sprinted until she caught up to him, panting like mad. _Slow down!_ In such a boggy forest, running wasn't the most effective way of travel, and her clothes were still weighted with water. "One of your friends, that Kokiri girl, made her way to the Forest Temple earlier, don't you recall?" She huffed, attempting to keep up. "I told you."

Navi cried out as an enormous figure suddenly came barreling out of the darkness. Sheik sprang upwards, teleporting up into the tree above her head on instinct while Link glanced a large spear off the side of his shield. An anthropomorphic creature with the face of a boar and the rippling muscles of a body builder under dark brown fur growled from out of the shadows. _A Moblin!?_

The huge monster backpedaled, snarling at Link, the only other being in range. His shield and sword were equipped in two seconds, but the Moblin charged. It was too late to yell for him to duck—shields were useless against them. The beast impaled Link on the end of its spear before sending him flying into a trunk. He cried out in pain and Zelda's heart dropped into her stomach.

Navi was yelling incomprehensibly around the monster's head as it drew away. Link climbed back onto his feet, looking more angry than hurt. Zelda was about to drop from her hiding place when the Moblin charged again. Link whirled out of the way at the last second this time, however, and thrust his sword into the monster's belly.

It snorted, exploding in a massive burst of green dust. Zelda exhaled. _Monsters as aggressive as Moblins have never roamed these woods before._ She dropped from the tree swiftly. "That was unexpected."

Link put away the sword, frowning. He acted as though he had not been impaled at all. "Since when are _they_ in the Lost Woods?"

Navi flew around him anxiously. "Those things are called Moblins, Link, and they must've come while we were sealed away. Are you okay!? You look hurt!"

He wiped his hands on his tunic. "I'll be fine."

Sheik was mildly impressed, though the weightier matter on her mind was the fact the Moblins had appeared so suddenly. They had not been around the last time Zelda was in the Woods. Ganondorf must've been sending more powerful monsters into the forest, which meant…

 _"Help!"_

The three of them looked up in alarm. The cry was that of a little girl, and it was definitely not the illusionary Zelda.

Link's eyes shot to Sheik. "Did you hear that?"

Sheik nodded gravely.

The voice came again to their minds, clear as day. _"Link!?"_

Link and Navi sent each other stricken looks. "Saria!"

 _"You're alive!"_ The little girl sounded overjoyed. _"I knew you were still alive! Link, I went to the Forest Meadow to help the forest spirits, but I got attacked by monsters! Please help me!"_

Zelda rebuked herself for not acting sooner, darting toward the large log the Moblin had emerged from. _Of course Ganondorf would target the Sage of the Forest._ The Hero of Time rushed after her. "We're coming, Saria! Hold on!"

The thick, dark log gave no indication of the the light pouring into the meadow on the other side until she burst through to it. She shielded her eyes, coming to a halt.

A vast clearing lay before her, outlined in stone. The grunts of massive Moblins echoed off its walls as they made their way through the meadow. _Ganondorf_ did _send them to the Forest Temple, just as I suspected._

Something forceful knocked into Zelda. She stumbled.

"Sorry, Sheik," Link breathed from behind her.

Zelda regained her balance, putting a fair amount of space between him and herself. "We found the Sacred Forest Meadow," she remarked. "And it appears that it's brimming with monsters."

 _"Help!"_

They withdrew their weapons, his Sword and her daggers respectively, as Navi went zipping over the meadow. "He's right!" she squeaked, zipping back to Link. "There are Moblins everywhere!"

Sheik readjusted her clothing, darting forward. "Quickly!"

Link started after her. "Wait! Hold on a minute!"

The Sheikah scaled a nearby wall, leaping to the top of the crumbling stone block. Link came to a halt, surprised. "I don't think I can follow you up there," he shouted. "I'm not a Sheikah!"

 _Neither am I._ Sheik leapt from one column to the next, breathless. "We have to save your friend before it is too late. There's a maze here; navigate it quickly while I distract them."

When she glanced over her shoulder, she could tell the young hero wasn't on the same page. "Ready yourself," she called. "I'm going to draw their attention!"

He cupped his gloved hands over his mouth. "You sure?"

Sheik inhaled sharply, trying not to feel lightheaded. "Yes," she replied. "On my mark. It'll be easiest to defeat them with an aerial weapon." _If he had one._ She sighed. _This will have to do for now—we must reach that sage!_

She looked away from Link, gathering all the deku nuts she had left in both hands. With a drop in her stomach, she leapt off the wall and into the maze. "Go!"

The nearest Moblins caught sight of her and roared, turning clumsily in the narrow passageway. Zelda darted around the corner at top speed, sliding right into another. She ducked his flailing spear.

The two rumbling after her caught up, sounding angry she had escaped. They were about to get angrier. She flung the deku nuts into their snouts, performing a Sheikah trick that had her several feet in the air a split second later. The Moblins cried out, scratching at their eyes.

She flipped over the wall at her back, throwing nuts with flashes that irritated the Moblins already there. To her dismay, the deku nuts did not stun the beasts nearly as much as she'd hoped. They were only becoming more enraged.

Zelda scaled the next stone ledge in their momentary distraction, catching her breath. The Moblins bellowed angrily up at her, swarming below her feet and jabbing at her with their spears. She danced away from the tips. In the distance, she could hear the shouts of a human in the maze. _Good, he's coming._ She winced at the monsters. _Boy, these are a lot scarier up close._

The end of the meadow was in sight, closing off except for a narrow passageway and an old flight of stairs.

Another frightened scream reached her mind. Saria's voice was getting fainter by the minute. Zelda ran across the top of the wall as far as it would go, jumping onto the next available block. She getting weary of jumping, but her tired legs would have to endure a bit more. The angry Moblins trailed after her. _I need to leave the area and scope out the temple,_ she thought. Maybe the brush would hide her…?

Link came into sight, looking more determined than ever. Zelda exhaled.

"Keep your grubby paws away, you filthy demons," she told the Moblins, throwing more deku nuts in their faces. They screamed, furious, and completely oblivious to Link's sharp, shiny sword. Zelda ducked along the ledge, leaping across the last twist of the maze.

It was unfortunate that more monsters prowled at the end of the maze, sniveling suspiciously at the sounds of fighting. The moment she touched the ground, she found herself face-to-face with another pair of Moblins.

"That wicked man," she cursed, whipping out her weapons. The nearest Moblin did not seem to care about what she said; he only bellowed and came charging at her with a long spear.

Sheik's eyes widened. On instinct she dropped backward, narrowly dodging the blunt spearhead that went whistling past her nose.

Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she could not hear anything else. Luckily, the monster's momentum carried it forward above her head. Popping up quite suddenly, Sheik snapped the wood shaft in half. The Moblin hollered as its weapon went flying, splintered. Quick as a fox, she thrust one of the pieces deep into the beast's side. It roared, and relief washed over her.

As the monster dissolved into a black lump of nothing, the other monster in her way moaned in pain. The young hero withdrew his sword from its belly. Zelda sighed, dropping the broken spear.

"I took care of the last one," she explained breathlessly as they exchanged looks. "Let's go."

They darted up the stone steps at the end of the maze two at a time, catching sight of the peak of the Forest Temple. _Almost there,_ she heaved. As they cleared the top step, her hopes fell. Standing between them and their destination was the largest Moblin she'd ever seen.

Link came to a stop at her side, soaking wet and panting. Navi zoomed over to the massive Moblin, who was holding an even more massive club.

"Another?" he groaned. Zelda's sentiment was the same.

 _"Link,"_ Saria vaguely whispered.

Sheik stiffened. "The girl—"

"I'll take this guy," Link interrupted resolutely, flashing his sword. He nodded to Sheik as he, too, stood up. "You go on ahead and get Saria!"

Sheik raised her eyebrows. Link took at step toward the monster and it bellowed, crashing its club into the earth like a hammer. Tremors shot all the way to where they were standing.

She took a deep breath. _If he's certain he can handle it._ The monster slammed its club again toward Link, and Sheik sprinted forward. She hit the ground, sliding under the Moblin's arm.

The beast did not care to take notice, fortunately for her. Muttering intelligibly, Zelda sprinted up the second flight of stairs. She arrived in the clearing where Forest Temple sat, crumbling and overgrown. Out of breath, she scanned the area.

Empty.

It was a massive disappointment. Zelda scowled at the entrance of the temple. Saria had already been abducted, or worse. _I'm so tired my legs are going to give out,_ she moaned to herself.

Link caught up with her minutes later, battered and bruised but still standing. He entered the courtyard of the Forest Temple. "Sheik… where's… Saria…?"

The news she dreaded to give twisted into a pit in her stomach. She offered him a sideways glance. "She's already gone."

His expression, so committed and determined moments ago, turned sour. His messy blonde hair hung every which way. "Where did she go?"

Sheik nodded up at the temple, breathing heavily. He squinted at it.

Navi floated past both of them, the only one not out of sorts. "It's Saria's favorite stump," she remorsefully pinged. Zelda glanced at the floating orb. An old tree stump lay below where the fairy hovered.

Link's eyes dimmed, but only slightly. He set his sights again on the temple. "We've gotta get inside and save her," he declared, sheathing his sword.

Sheik sent him a look like he was crazy. "You cannot get in. You do not have the equipment." In a huff that was a little more angry than she intended, she added, "it was in Kakariko!"

Link glanced at her, a bit thrown off by the sudden break of emotion. Sheik shook her head in a controlled manner. _Zelda, what are you doing?_

Navi flew back over to the overgrown Kokiri. "We can't leave now," she whimpered. "Link, what if those monsters hurt Saria?"

He set his jaw, and by the look in his eye, Zelda could tell he was not leaving the meadow. "Saria really needs me," he stated, stepping toward the decaying temple. "There has to be another way in!"

 _He's right that she's in immediate danger,_ Zelda admitted to herself irritably. This was not the way things were supposed to be done, and it was not her place to keep assisting him like this. She groaned, perhaps a little to loudly, as she made her way to the crumbling wall.

"Sheik," Navi chirped as the purple and white figure climbed the side of the temple. "What're you doing?"

"Finding him a way in," Sheik grumped, clinging to the cracks in the stone. It was good she was so cross for climbing, seeing as she clenched the handholds much more readily. After a few more sweat-drenching seconds, she arrived at the elevated platform.

Link only stood there and watched as the Sheikah scouted the area and lowered a vine. He blinked when it reached him.

"Climb," Sheik demanded in a less-than-friendly tone. Link frowned.

Navi flew ahead of him as he gripped the thick plant, slowly forcing himself up. "You could go ahead," he puffed.

"Not by myself," Sheik muttered. She eyed Navi, who floated to her side. "I don't have the sword."

He fell silent, save his grunts. Sheik turned away. _If he hurries, perhaps we can save the girl without venturing too deep into the premises._

Link suddenly stood up at her side, uncomfortably close. Zelda glanced at him with a grimace. The landing was too small. _He should be up here by himself. I should not be present._

The structure beneath their feet shook suddenly, sending small pebbles cascading down the sides of the temple. A low, ominous groan blew out from the gaping entrance before them.

"Saria!"

Without another word, they rushed into the Forest Temple.

* * *

 _ **Author Notes:**_

Sister: *upon reading Ganondorf's behavior* _Triforce of power? More like Triforce of Anger Issues…_

Me: _That would be a weird triforce_

Hello one and all! This chapter almost killed me. I barely got out alive.

Stuff of note-there are parts that might make somebody cringe, like how Zelda used Farore's Wind outside a dungeon or how the crystal ball could see Sheik but not the princess...lemme just say, I can't quite figure it out myself. Zelda didn't explain it in depth. Basically, it's a spell and she's special or something. Something like that. Also, the Gerudo twins ain't afraid of Ganondorf cuz they raised him.

There were other things I had to say but they have left the brain station. *watches them leave*

I hope someone, ANYONE, enjoys this bloodbath that was a chapter (the blood is my own, mixed well with sweat and many tears). Reviews are, again, greatly appreciated. Truly.

My personal deadline for the next chapter will be **August 10th** , a month from the day I was planning to release this chapter. Thanks for reading and let me know if you think I should keep posting!

HAVE A FANTABULOUS DAY ^.^


	5. Into the Forest Temple

_**Author's Note:**_ I am SO SORRY this chapter took so long! And I wanted to post it yesterday, but I spent all day editing it instead ;.; And this is it. all I've got. my tear ducts have run dry.

* * *

A musty wave of air rolled over them as they passed into the Forest Temple, as thick as a fog. The atmosphere here was drastically different from the outside world. Sheik could taste the monsters and magic swelling in the air, filling the walls of the stronghold.

Howls rang in their ears the second they set foot in the first room. Two monsters wolves with bloody muzzles tore out of the earth, claws flashing. Sheik came to a sharp halt. Link kept running, dodging the monsters.

"Oh my," Navi squeaked. The Wolfos snarled viciously at Link as he reached the door on the far side of the room. He rattled the doorknob with his left hand. "It's locked!"

Sheik threw some kunai, which the wolves deflected. "Find a key!"

He turned around, bright blue eyes flickering about the room, mouth drawn into a tight line. "I'm looking," he replied. "I can figure these things about by myself, you know."

Sheik narrowly jumped out of reach of sharp claws. "If you know, then do it, and quickly!"

Link darted to the wall covered in green vines, climbing as though he had a death wish. "Sheik," he panted, a little frustratedly. "didn't you say you didn't _need_ to be here?"

She sent him a dirty look that he could not see since his back was to her. "I do not _wish_ to be here," she retorted. "But I now must assist you in rescuing the girl before it's too late because of item you foolishly ignored!"

Link grunted like he was going to reply, but his fairy interrupted. "Okay, okay!" Her high-pitched voice carried above the annoying howls of the Wolfos. "Let's just get the key and rescue Saria!"

Zelda stabbed one of the monsters as it swiped at her and it mournfully bellowed, dissolving into flames. Link shouted something from above her head, jumping down with an old metal piece gripped in his hand.

"Found it," he declared. The second Wolfos pounced and he ducked. Rushing to the door, Sheik watched as he shoved the key into the lock and turned it. With a click, it swung open.

They crammed through the door, spilling out into the hallway beyond. The wolf turned its beady eyes toward them but Link and Sheik slammed the door shut before the monster could come crashing through behind them.

Sheik took a deep breath. _Why are there so many monsters already?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the Navi's cry. _"Spider!"_

The fairy bobbed a few feet away as a spider bigger than Sheik dropped down from the rafters. Sheik's eyes widened dramatically.

"Skulltula!" Link drew his sword. The disgusting creature shivered on its string, spindly legs twitching, skull-faced abdomen grinning down at them hungrily. Zelda shuddered.

Luckily, Link had none of the qualms she did about running up to it and thrusting a sword into its underside. The spider fell from its sticky thread, shriveling into a crisp and disappearing in a burst of smoke. Zelda inhaled. _It's dead, Zelda, it's dead. Calm down._ She cautiously followed Link to the other end of the hall.

The passage opened up to an expansive gray chamber, one considerably colder than the entryway. The stale stench of things long dead greeted her nose, overpowering her senses. In base of the room stood four torches with four flames of different color. Zelda pressed a hand to the wall, trying to adjust to the foul aura. _What is this place?_

Without batting an eye, Link descended the stairs in front of them. His green tunic was bright in the stingy atmosphere. The moment his foot touched the bottom step, however, the temple began to shake. Soot and stone rained down from the ceiling and the ground trembled, threatening to throw them off balance. Nefarious laughter drifted up from the temple's unseen depths.

After several seconds the building settled, but the faint presence of the Kokiri sage faded completely Zelda's mind. She caught her breath. _Oh no!_

"Saria!" Link's voice broke slightly, reverberating off the walls. He ran to the platform. "Saria! We're here! Where are you!?"

It was silent except for the distant echoes of dark laughter. Navi soared far above Link's head. "It has to be that ghost from the forest," she cried. "He took her!"

Link scowled. He turned to face the hallow stone device standing beside him in the center of the room, but as he did so, a different kind of laughter pierced the air. Sheik grimaced, recognizing the sound from the many times she'd traversed Kakariko's graveyard.

 _Poes._

An unnatural chill swept over them as the forms of four poes swirled into existence above the flames, cackling creepily. Once human, these pitiful beings had allowed regrets in their past lives to twist their spirits at death, turning them into malignant specters bent on vengeance. Poes were not enjoyable beings to encounter.

"Oh my," one spoke, voice sharp and unpleasant. The four poes focused on the young man they encircled, eyes glowing greedily. Link whirled around, surprised.

"It's a boy," the poe's sister chuckled.

Link stared at them, blue eyes wide but unwavering. For a moment, Zelda felt a stroke of admiration towards him. "Where is my friend?" he demanded after several seconds of empty silence.

One poe chortled, and the others began to chortle as well. Their laughs bounced off the walls. "The green haired girl?"

"The one who just came through here?"

"The one who kept yelling 'HELP!'?"

"We don't know," the last one concluded, snickering.

Zelda exhaled. Poes were a headache any day, but they did not have time to waste. "Tell us what we want to know," she cut in from the top of the stairs, drawing the ghost's attention as she descended. "Or you won't live to haunt this fortress much longer."

The poes sent glances at her and then to each other in amusement, waving the unlit torches in their hands. "Another one?" they tittered. "Two in one day!"

Zelda silently approached the middle of the room, coming to a stop beside the Kokiri man. He was beginning to look agitated. " _Where's Saria!?_ "

The ghostly women laughed. They abruptly vanished, reappearing above the flames in a different order. "You are annoying," the purple poe murmured, gaze fixed on his green tunic. "You must be in love that green-haired girl."

Link's face passed through a series of expressions, ranging from dismay to embarrassment. "Not like that," he stammered. "But she's very important to me and the rest of the Kokiri, so you have tell me where she went!"

The poes giggled, swaying in the flickering torch light. "Not her? There must be somebody he loves," one whispered.

"Yes," her sister replied. Her eyes burned. "I can see it."

"Not just any little pathetic human. An extra special one."

"One he thinks about day and night…"

Link's features had begun to go bright red, starting with the tips of his ears ending with the base of his neck where the skin contrasted wildly with his white collar. Navi peeked out from the top of his hat, creating a tiny blob of light on his hair. "W-what are you talking about?" he faltered. "Stop stalling!"

Sheik eyed the hallow structure standing upright behind herself and Link. She suspected it would take her to a different floor if she stepped inside. _Any sudden movements might trigger the poes_ , she thought. _But if I can slip away while they're distracted…_

"It's that pathetic princess, isn't it?" Giggles echoed around the room. "The one with the ratty blonde hair? She's the one you love!"

Sheik stiffened on instinct. Link, the shade of a tomato, sliced his sword through the air irritably. "Don't call the princess pathetic! Tell me where Saria is!"

They laughed. Zelda was tense. How did they know her hair color? She shook her head and glanced at Link, who was so red he did not know what to do with himself. The poes were thoroughly amused.

"Leave him alone!" Navi chirped, floating bravely out of Link's green hat. This only added to his humiliation, however, seeing as he rubbed his face with his free hand. The poes cawed.

"You're in love with the princess," they taunted.

"I'm not in love with her," he hastily denied.

"You're in love," the ghosts sang, then cackled harder. "Love!"

Sheik took one tentative step back. "You can't be in love," she said, loud enough for Link and the apparitions to hear her. Link glanced at her, an embarrassed grimace on his sharp, albeit flushed features. Zelda suddenly felt bad about using his feelings as a distraction. "You don't even know her."

His dark blonde eyebrows knit together. "I do," he retorted, though his voice wasn't as confident as normal.

Sheik took another step back as the poes laughed themselves to bits. "It's been seven years."

He scowled, and Zelda could see a hint of doubt forming behind his eyes. "Yeah, but… she couldn't have changed that much…"

Sheik took a third step and felt the floor of the device rock gently under her foot. The poes froze. So did every cell in Zelda's body. Her eyes were still focused on Link, who was staring back at her with trepidation about the missing princess. She swallowed.

Sheik took her final step inside the stone machine and the poes went berserk, screaming and flying around the room. Link ducked, shielding himself. Each of the four flames disappeared from their columns onto the torch of a crazed spirit. The hollow device shook and started to sink with Sheik inside.

"Link," she yelled above the noise. "Get in!"

He narrowly avoided one of the poes. His glowing companion flew over to where Zelda stood. "Come on, Link, come on!"

The lift was descending fast. Link was already too big to fit inside when he darted over. "Hold up! Navi! Sheik!"

A surge of anxiety bubbled up into Zelda's chest. She gripped the walls of the stone she was submerging into, but it was no use. "It won't stop!"

Navi zipped out of the machine just before it fell out of sight. Zelda cupped her mouth. "Get back the flames, and save—!"

The device passed below the ground, completely cutting her off from the chamber above.

The hammering of her own beating heart filled the abrupt silence as the lift lapsed deeper into the earth, taking her through complete darkness. It began to slow. Zelda held her breath. Low light finally touched her eyes as the ride came to a stop.

She stepped out of the stone apparatus, thoughts racing. Stone walls rose on every side, encasing her in a hard gray box. _There is a reason those poes did not want us to reach this place,_ she reassured herself. Feeling somewhat short on air, she stepped back onto the lift—just in case. Any flicker of hope she had of returning to the upper floor died when the device did not move. She shuffled dejectedly back out into the room.

 _I'm alone in the basement of a haunted fortress,_ Zelda thought, rubbing her arms nervously. Somehow, this level was even chillier and mustier than the one above. She glanced up at the dark hole she'd emerged from. _This is good,_ she persuaded herself. _The ghosts didn't want us down here, and now I have the opportunity to search out the sage. Besides, Link will figure out how to open the way. Without the hookshot._ She rubbed more ferociously, gazing at the dank room around her. It was unnaturally quiet. _Hopefully._

Zelda circled the room. There were two tall stone structures protruding from the walls. Rugs of different color were splayed out from the lift, pointing to the protrusions. Not wanting to sit back and do nothing, she gave one of the stones a shove. It rolled away with a series of squeaks and groans, shifting the entire wall.

She sighed. _At least this is getting somewhere._ Having moved the wall, a secret corridor came into view. _There must be hidden passageways down here,_ Zelda realized. _One of them may contain Saria._

She glanced into the opening, finding a dead-end. Curious, she returned to the stone block. _Clearly, this room was made to hide things. What other secrets are buried down here, I wonder?_

Mustering her strength, Zelda continued to push the block. It moaned and wailed and slid along, giving access to other dead-end crannies. She pushed it harder.

She paused to wipe her hands on her legs, peering into the passageway at her side. Oddly enough, a small wooden chest sat inside it. She straightened, curiously approaching. _I wonder what—_

The skull-like body of the world's most revolting creature jumped out at her from the archway as she set foot underneath it. A shriek ripped from her throat, feet stumbling backward. _Skulltula!_

The spider hissed and clicked. Forgoing all rational thought, Zelda ripped the bow from her pouch and sent a volley of arrows whistling toward the beast. The Skulltula fell down from its perch, convulsing on the floor. Three or four arrows lodged in its empty shell before it vanished in an explosion of smoke.

Sheik straightened, pushing several strands of yellow hair from her eyes. She tried to calm her breathing, slipping the bow back into her pouch. Sheikah did not usually carry longbows, especially ones with pretty little carvings in the wood. She glanced over both shoulders, tucking the stray hairs back into her disguise. _I hate spiders._

The dead-end corridor before her now had five arrows protruding from the back wall. Zelda grimaced, cautiously ducking inside. _I'm glad Link wasn't around to see that. Sheik would have been mortified to have his reputation tarnished by a spi—_

A strange noise caught her ear as she tugged the arrows free and she nearly dropped the bundle. On the wall beside her, _another_ spider spun, this one golden. Zelda stumbled backward in surprise, tripping over herself and falling. _Ahhh!_ She hit the bricks hard, knocking them in.

A great rumbling sound suddenly shook the cavity, accompanied by a flurry of dust and dirt. She staggered away from the wall with a cough, shaking stars from her eyes. _What's going on?_ After a moment or two the rumbling stopped. Slowly, the haze began to clear.

Zelda stared. A long, dim tunnel stretched from the place where a wall had been a minute earlier. A cold draft rustled her clothes.

A secret passageway.

Excitement and pain mingled together inside her body as she set foot inside, running a hand along the wall. It was slick with mildew and quite cold. Like with the wall, there was an unmistakable nip to the air. Zelda tightened her scarf. Her disguise was specially enchanted to resist heat, water, and even dark magic, but not cold. She shivered lightly. _Where on earth does this lead? Why is it here?_

She traveled the length of the tunnel, further and further from the entrance until she came upon a crumbling stone wall blocking the way. Beyond it, there was a dark room.

Zelda carefully stepped over the blockade, pulling a glowing luminous stone out of her pouch. The air on the other side of the wall was different from the tunnel—drier, a little less frigid. A very faint but familiar smell wafted into her nostrils. _Paper._

Zelda held up the stone, squinting at her surroundings. She stood in a room no bigger than the last, decorated with cobwebbed paintings and old rugs. On the far side of the chamber was a desk.

Intrigued, Zelda approached it. Spilling from it was a pile of old papers and books, crumbly with age. Her eyes widened.

She picked up a paper. Faint, intelligible script was scrawled across its crusty face. She set luminous stone down, awestruck. _I think these are records._ She dug into the pile, finding the nearest bound book and opening it with a puff of dust. To her delight, the script inside was legible. _Records of this very building!_

Zelda picked up another book, this one a journal. Skimming it, it became evident that it was a woman's journal. The woman was young—probably younger than she— and she and her three sisters were about to be wed in the Forest Temple to four Hyrulean warriors. The girl droned on and on about her beloved fiancé, so Zelda skipped several pages, but to her surprise, the writing stopped only halfway through. She frowned to herself. _That's odd._

She closed the journal, turning to the next volume. This one was thicker and heavier than the rest, its leather more expensive. She lifted the luminous stone, touching the sacred crest engraved on its front with a sense of sadness. _Royal records._

She opened the book gingerly, flipping through it to find many of its contents destroyed or unfinished. Like the journal, the book came to an abrupt end. She sighed.

 _Something transpired here,_ she thought. _Something tragic._ She closed her eyes, straining to remember what she had once learned in her studies of history as a young princess. _There was a painting in the castle gallery, a memorial for a tragedy during the Hyrule civil war… it was for the massacre in the woods, one that took place at a secret Hylian fortress._ She opened her eyes. _This must be that very fortress._

A knot twisted in her stomach. She glanced at the desk. The book lay open on page detailing the wedding, along with a small drawing. An artist had rendered four brides standing next to the four torches in the massive main chamber of the temple. The likeness of the girls in the picture to the four despicable poes struck Zelda's mind, and the knot worsened. _I think I'm starting to understand._

She skipped to the back of the volume, feeling unsettled. Several of the final pages listed names—the names of people who ultimately met their demise. She grimaced, about to close the record when a loose sheet of paper caught her attention. Zelda caught it between her fingers, holding it above the light.

It was another sketch. This one was of a man and woman standing together. The man's face had been eroded away, but the woman's was still visible. In her arms was a bundle of cloth, perhaps a baby. Zelda squinted, lifting the paper closer to her face. Her heart rate increased dramatically. _Could it be—?_

Her eyes widened, and the luminous stone almost fell from her fingers. It was not her mother. The woman in the sketch had sharp, striking features, and though she didn't look unkind, it was clear she wasn't the late queen of Hyrule. Zelda did a double take, however. The woman's eyes were piercing, piercing to the bone. Even in the rendition, Zelda could sense the determination in those eyes. This may not have been her mother, as she hoped, but she recognized her features and her expression…

 _This woman looks like Link._

Zelda inhaled, stunned. Her gaze fell to the faded man. _He obviously isn't my father,_ she realized. The man was too young, too slim, and too well built. Instead of decorated as royalty, he wore the badges of a high-ranking officer. _Not father. Not mother._ The baby in the lady's arms was swaddled in a plain blanket that bore no symbol of the royal crest. She strained, but couldn't see the infant's features. Fingers stiff and pulse quick, Zelda turned the paper over.

The description she was looking for was there. At least, it was in part. It read: _Captain of the Royal Guard with wife and son._

She caught her breath.

There were so many things going through her head she felt dizzy. She stared at the picture again. The woman stared back at her with such startling eyes, the same eyes that startled her with every time she looked at Link. _This can't be._ She read the caption again. Link didn't have anything to do with the Royal Guard. He was a Kokiri who he had been raised by the Great Deku Tree! She inhaled slowly, gawking at the picture. _It's irrational to assume anything like that at this point,_ she decided. _And_ _I need to keep searching for Saria._

Sheik stood up, unsteadily folding the picture into her waistband. The image stayed, as if it was painted onto the backs of her eyes. She bent over, feeding as many of the old records into her pouch as she could. _How could Link have survived the massacre if he was only an infant, anyhow?_ Sheik tied shut her pouch and picked up the glowing stone, returning to the dim, chilly tunnel. A more pestering thought lingered in the back of her mind.

 _If he really is a Kokiri, why did he grow up?_

Zelda reentered the lift room, slumping against one of the big stone blocks. It was cold. Her body ached. She closed her eyes and focused, trying to search out Link in a vision like she had in the graveyard, but it was no use. She exhaled heavily. _Where is he? What's taking him?_

She glanced at her hands and scowled. The spell which colored her skin beige was beginning to fade, meaning her hair and her eyes were also losing their Sheikah-like hues. Luckily, her clothing was not fabricated by magic, so it would remain the same, but Link would see a pale, blue-eyed Sheikah when he reached her if she did not enchant herself once more. She dug through her pouch for the rest of the green potion. _Maybe he wouldn't get suspicious, but Navi definitely would._

Swallowing the bitter drink, she couldn't help but wonder: _Would he come faster if he knew I was Princess Zelda?_

She set the bottle down. The bitterness lingered on her tongue longer than usual. If Link knew _she_ was Princess Zelda, and not some other, more gentle, compassionate, lighthearted girl—like the one he remembered—would he still come for her at all?

Zelda wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. Her head rested against the wall. She didn't want to think about this, and she didn't want to think about the Captain of the Royal Guard. She still hadn't found Saria.

She closed her eyes, brow furrowed, arms limp at her sides. Her sore body did not want to get up. _Come on, Zelda,_ she chided herself. _The sage is nearby._ Her eyelids began to sag. _This is no time for a break…_

"Sheik!"

Zelda's heavy eyes flew open, discombobulated. _Huh? Who is that?_ She blinked. A fuzzy blue blob of light hovered several feet away.

 _What?_ Her head throbbed sluggishly as she forced herself upright. The chill of the chamber seemed several degrees colder than it had been moments ago, and her body was listless and heavy. She groaned. _I must have fallen asleep. How could I have fallen asleep?_

The fairy squeaked as she staggered to her feet, stumbling into the wall. "You're _not_ dead!"

Sheik grimaced at the hovering orb. "Is that… Navi?"

"Yes!"

Sheik groaned, pressing her fingers to her head. "How long has it been?"

The fairy seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Since I last saw you." Puzzled, Zelda tried to scan the empty chamber. The fairy was alone and the lift was missing. "How long ago was that?"

Navi bobbed up and down. "That was a while ago. We've been trying to get down here! What happened to you?"

Her vision was finally clearing, but her mind was still struggling. "What are you talking about?"

Navi ventured a bit closer. "You look sort of pale!"

Sheik squinted, then clapped a hand to her face. _My disguise! I forgot the enchantment!_ Cursing, she turned to the wall, breaking out in cold sweat. "I'm fine," she stammered, muttering the spell under her breath and praying Navi hadn't seen much. "Where's Link?"

The sound of the lift lowering into the chamber answered her question. Navi replied anyway. "He's right here! Link, I found Sheik!"

The young man in question jumped out of the lift. He was covered in wounds from head to toe, green tunic covered in dark smudges that resembled bruises. Small cuts perforated his face and arms, a rather bloody one on his left arm. His hair was a windblown mess; the Master Sword gleaming in his hand was stained purple. His expression, however, was more determined than ever. "Sheik?" he shouted, sheathing his sword. His piercing eyes found her seconds later. "Sheik! You're alive! Did you find Saria?"

Zelda blinked five or six times, trying to get her eyes to adjust to his form. "I haven't located her yet," she croaked grudgingly. "What happened to the poes?"

He glanced at Navi. His blonde hair looked as though it had been in a whirlwind, with twigs and leaves sticking out of it. "We defeated them."

Zelda's eyes widened. "How did you get through the temple without the hookshot?"

At this, his face split into a broad grin. "I climbed."

"He fell," Navi corrected. "A lot!"

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, expression bringing back memories from when they were children. "I might have fallen a couple of times." His sharp blue eyes became serious again. "So you haven't found Saria?"

Guilt ballooned in Zelda's chest. It was a similar feeling to the times she had been caught reading books instead of attending to her royal duties as the princess. "No," she admitted. "But the wall moves. I did not get the chance to go through all the secret rooms."

His eyes turned to the wall. "Secret rooms?" he asked, jogging over to it.

"Yes," she nodded. "They appear when you push the block."

He immediately charged toward the nearest protrusion, shoving it with all his might. It slid along with just one thrust.

Zelda stood there, still a little dazed, as he rushed around the room, darting between passageways and triggering new openings. Navi trailed after him, making them a blue and green blob combo. Zelda rubbed her forehead sluggishly. _Maybe I am getting sick._

"I'll bet Saria's close," Link panted. "Navi, do you sense that ghost?"

Navi left his side and floated around the room. "I do," she tinkled. "Behind this wall!"

Sheik glanced at the place where she hovered, and Link shoved the block more emphatically. It rolled, but did not reveal the opening. Grunting, he pushed it again.

"Perhaps you should rest a little before taking on the monster," Sheik suggested in a low voice.

Link grimaced. "No. We've got to save Saria."

"But you're wounded."

He did not respond, instead putting his strength into the block once more. Zelda sighed, watching him with slight concern.

"What do you think, Navi?" she asked, drawing the fairy's attention. Navi's wings fluttered.

"Um," she stammered. "Well, we just do whatever Link thinks best!"

Zelda sighed again, casting the young man a narrow look. She crossed her arms. "Is he always so stubborn?"

Navi sort of giggled, voice falling to a whisper. "Yep."

"Hey." Link stopped shoving to send them both dirty looks. "I can hear you over there."

"If you can hear us so well," Sheik countered, "then heed my advice. Replenish your health. Saria will have no use for a hero if he is dead."

Link scowled, refusing to look at her. "I won't die," he grumbled.

"Maybe Sheik has a point," Navi squeaked, earning a look of betrayal from her companion. "What? It couldn't hurt! Just go find some hearts!"

Link straightened, muttering to himself as he dusted off his hands. "You guys don't get it. Saria's in big trouble, and if we wait any longer to get to her, she might not make it." He drew his sword, walking toward the long hallway that had appeared with his last push. "I'm going now!"

He jogged down the new corridor, Navi flying after him to quickly catch up. Zelda swallowed, trying to bury the pit in her stomach. She reluctantly followed.

Unlike the others, the corridor was decorated, paintings lining either side. A rug splayed out beneath their feet, leading to the end of the corridor where a pair of double doors sat. Link stopped in front of the doors, studying the massive gold chain wrapping them up.

His eyes flickered from the chains to the lock. "It's locked," he exhaled. Navi floated just behind him and he dug into one of his pouches. "Hold on, I've got something."

Sheik cautiously approached as he rummaged. "I sense an immense evil aura beyond that door," she remarked.

"The ghost," Navi chirped.

"Yeah, and Saria." Link withdrew a large, golden key from his pouch. "Here it is!"

Sheik raised her eyebrows. "You _already_ have the key?"

"Yeah, I found it in the temple." He lifted it toward the keyhole. "This should do the trick—"

Sheik's hand shot out of its own accord, stopping Link's glove just short of the hole. "Wait!"

He paused, shooting her a weird look. "What?"

Zelda dropped her hand. _When did my arm get a mind of its own?_ "Hold on a minute," she managed, flustered. "I don't think you should go in there."

Now the young hero was looking at her like she had sprouted a second head. Zelda grimaced. "Would you just listen to me? There's something dangerous on the other side. You may not get another chance to go back."

Link waved the key. "I know. I'm going to rescue Saria!"

Zelda scowled. "Yes, but think! You're going in unprepared!" She folded her arms, voice lowering to an icy quality. "There is a difference between bravery and stupidity, Link."

He frowned, somewhat offended. "You're calling me stupid?"

"I'm telling you to give it a little more _thought,"_ she said.

Link made a face and turned back to the lock. "I've given it enough thought. I don't want my friends to suffer when I can do something about it." He thrust the key into the keyhole, turning it. The lock shuddered, and the entire chain fell from the doors.

"You don't have to come," continued, glancing over his shoulder with a lighter expression. "I can do this."

Sheik bit the inside of her cheek as Link pushed the heavy door inward, blustering them with the drafty air beyond. Link stepped over the threshold and disappeared inside.

She sighed, setting her jaw and following him.

* * *

It was dim. The room was tall, like the previous chamber, but instead of a lift in the middle of the floor there was a raised platform. A flight of stairs to their right connected the platform to ground level.

Link slowly started up the stairs, Navi floating by his ear. Sheik tailed them, shivering. The chamber was filled with dark magic, darker than anywhere else in the temple.

"This place gives me the creeps," Link muttered, glancing at the walls as he neared the top of the staircase. The room was hexagonal. Every one of its six walls displayed a massive painting, the frame taller than both Zelda and Link combined. Even more strange, each painting was exactly alike: a road lined with skeletal trees, winding into the distance until it disappeared into a massive black silhouette.

Zelda stood on the landing at the top of the stairs beside the young hero. Before them lay the circular platform, plastered with symbols of the Triforce. Spires tied with velvet rope ringed the edge of the platform, making it look like the stage for some performance.

"Where's the monster?" Navi squeaked.

"And Saria?" Link looked suspicious as he entered the ominous ring, glancing around for the fiend. Zelda held her breath, expecting something to lash out at him the moment he was off guard.

But the room remained still. Perfectly still. Link stood in the center of the platform, on the Triforce symbol, drawing his sword. Nothing stirred. Sheik hovered at the fringe, feeling as puzzled as Link did.

 _I sense so much dark magic…_ She put one tentative foot onto the platform. _But nothing is happening._ Six landscapes stared down at her as she entered the circle.

"There must be something here…" Her voice echoed off the stone walls. "I thought I sensed it."

Navi tinkled in agreement. "Me too."

Silence. Link sheathed his sword, scratching his head. "Where's the ghost?"

Sheik scoured the walls, looking for signs of hidden beasts or cloaking magic. "I don't know." Her gaze fell to the symbol beneath their feet. "This has to be a trap."

Link cupped his mouth. "Saria!"

Zelda studied the platform, noticing smaller Triforce symbols in each corner of the ring. _Why is the Triforce here?_

Link dropped his hands dejectedly. Navi flew way up above their heads, shouting as loud as her little voice would carry. "Saria!"

Link sighed, turning away. "She's not here." He began to walk back toward the staircase. "Let's look somewhere—"

The sound of metal abruptly caught Zelda's ear. She glanced at Link, who was staring at the golden spires that had just leapt up in front of their only exit.

A ghostly chill swept the room. Zelda and Link turned around at the same moment to find the perpetrator directly behind them, sitting on the back of an enormous horse.

It was Ganondorf, the King of Evil himself. He grinned wickedly down at the both of them.

Sheik was armed with her daggers in a flash, sweat running cold. Ganondorf, here!? _Now!?_ Link stood there with his jaw open, even more dumbstruck than she. _I knew this was a bad idea!_

Ganondorf chuckled. He lifted his hand to his face and suddenly tore it off, revealing a horned skull mask and glowing yellow orbs instead of features. Then, in a gesture that confirmed her suspicions, he and his horse floated into the air.

Sheik wasn't sure whether or not she should be relieved. This wasn't Ganon, it was his phantom. "Phantom Ganon," she yelled, rolling to the side.

The creature bellowed and his floating horse reared. "You are correct," he laughed, galloping toward the wall. He passed straight into a painting with a burst of magic.

Link's eyes were wide. "It _is_ that ghost," he shouted, watching the phantom ride deeper into the painting. "Where's he running off to!?"

Sheik rolled to her feet. "He'll be back."

The Kokiri's expression darkened. "That's the same ghost that took Zelda, too!" He twirled his sword, giving Sheik a grave look. "We've got to take it down."

Sheik sighed, not bothering to correct him. "Yes, but how? That thing will just fly out of reach of your sword…"

Navi flew around the room like a crazed firefly, suddenly stopping above a painting. "It's coming back," she cried.

They scrambled to see what she was talking about. Sure enough, a man on horseback was hurtling down the path of the next painting. Link and Sheik dove to opposite sides as the phantom soared above their heads, blasting electricity in every direction.

Evidently, she chose the wrong side. An unnerving scream filled the air. It took Zelda three seconds to realize it was her own scream—the same amount of time it took her to realize every muscle in her body was convulsing with electric current. Half a second later, she was weightless.

The impact of the wall jarred her consciousness. She awoke on the ground, senses fuzzy. Her back was stinging and her body was awash with a tingles. Distant voices were yelling.

Sheik attempted to pick herself up from the stone floor. Pain branched from head to toe, making every movement difficult. _How did that happen?_

As her vision cleared, it was evident she was laying outside the ring. _I must have been thrown from the platform…_ She pressed a hand gingerly to her pulsing forehead _._

The sound of electricity cackled throughout room again with shaking, booming laughter. _Link._ Wincing, she forced herself to her feet and toward the stairs.

"Sheik's alive!" Navi's high pitched squeak seemed extra loud to her ears as she neared the top. "Hooray!"

Link stood on the platform. He was a bit blurry, but from what she could tell he had not yet been hit. His eyes were on her. "Are you okay!?"

She groaned. "Where's the ghost?"

Navi flew over to a different painting and sounded the alert. "Here!" Link spun around, sword flashing.

Zelda shook her pulsing head. "Forget the sword! What else do you have!?"

Link's eyes got big. He sheathed the sword and fumbled through his pouch, muttering. Zelda stood at the edge of the ring, gripping the spires as hero withdrew a bow just in time to face the apparition springing from the painting.

 _Ping!_ The ghost groaned and shrunk back to the painting it had come from. Link let another arrow fly. Zelda watched with surprise. _I didn't know he had a bow._ "When did you get that?"

Link loaded another arrow, rotating to find the ghost. "What?"

Sheik shook her head. "Never mind, just keep shooting!"

For once, he listened without argument. Zelda dizzily took a seat at the top of the stairs, thrusting her hand into her sac. _I can't fight like this._

The familiar laughter of Phantom Ganon burst through another painting, and Link let another well-placed arrow fly. Zelda searched for her glass bottles with a scowl on her face. _Where is my red potion? I thought I—oh, that's right. I gave the rest to Link at the Temple of Time._

She sighed raggedly, pressed her head against a metal spire. In this condition, she'd be only a hindrance in battle. A silent prayer went up to the goddesses: _Please let Link be alright on his own._

 _"You should have more faith in him,"_ a voice quietly whispered.

Her eyes popped open. The voice belonged to a young girl, one who was most likely not a goddess. _Who's there?_

 _"Sorry,"_ she girl said. _"I shouldn't have been peeping into your thoughts."_

Sheik sat up straight with a wince, feeling a little enlivened. _Saria?_

The girl's voice hesitated. _"Do I know you?"_

 _It is Saria!_ Zelda sat up straighter, happy to hear the sage again. _Please, Saria, tell me where you are! Link and I are trying to save you!_

The voice went quiet. _"I don't know where I am,"_ she whispered. _"It's dark. I can see Link… and I can see you… but I can't see anything else. You got injured. Are you alright?"_

Zelda bit her lip as she glanced at the ring, seeing Link barely dodge a bolt of electricity raining from above. She winced. _I need to get back out there. He needs help._

 _"Who, Link?"_ Saria sounded surprised. _"Link doesn't need help."_

Zelda frowned. _What do you mean?_

Saria's softened, almost affectionately. _"Link is special,"_ she explained. _"He saved Kokiri Forest, and then he left to save people he did not even know. He's always been strong and brave. I can see that even more in him now that he's grown up…"_ Her voice trailed off, switching gears suddenly. _"Who are you?"_

Sheik closed her eyes. Her thoughts were still scattered from the hit, and lying was always more difficult when your head was muddy. _I'm… I'm an old friend of his,_ she managed, gritting her teeth. _I'm trying to save Hyrule._

Saria sounded surprised. _"An old friend?"_

 _That is correct._

The little girl fell silent again, and Zelda could only imagine her expression. She finally spoke in a hushed tone. " _Are you Princess Zelda?"_

Zelda suddenly cried out in pain, completely bewildered. _What!?_

 _"It's alright,"_ Saria interrupted as Zelda composed herself. _"I won't tell anyone."_

Zelda cursed beneath her breath. Her sweat had run cold again, heart beating abnormally fast. _I…you… how!?_

The girl continued in a calm voice. _"I know why you care for Link so much."_

Sheik set her jaw. _How did you figure out my identity!?_

She sighed liltingly. _"Don't be concerned. I only know because Link always talked about you when he came home. He never spoke of being close friends with anyone else in the outside world except you. So I guessed. I'm right, though, aren't I?"_

Dismay was replaced with embarrassment. Zelda rubbed her forehead.

 _"Don't feel bad,"_ Saria amended. _"It was a lucky guess. It looks like you've done a lot to hide yourself from the man who turned the world evil."_

Zelda felt distraught. _You cannot begin to know how much,_ she managed. _If anyone were to find out…Link, he—he can't know who I really am._

Saria sighed. Zelda sensed a tinge of discontent in her words. _"No, he can't."_

Link cried out again, stealing Zelda's attention. After taking a third arrow, Phantom Ganon appeared to have abandoned his horse to stay in the ring, hovering jerkily in the air. "Pesky boy," the phantom muttered, his voice unnaturally deep and chilling. "You are a nuisance to my master!"

Link drew back the string, arrow nocked. The ghost laughed. He lifted a lance filled with cackling magic and sent a ball of light at the young hero.

Link dodged, clutching his bow. The specter guffawed as Link again took aim. He deflected the arrows with ease.

 _Link,_ Zelda thought, placing her hands on the bars. _This is no good. Wait, Saria, this ghost is the one who captured you. Do you know anything about it that might help us? Like the Phantom's weakness?_

Saria did not respond. Zelda closed her eyes, mentally searching for the young girl. _What happened? Where did she go?_ For whatever reason, the sage's presence had suddenly faded from Zelda's mind. She cursed again.

"Link!" Navi cried out, drawing Zelda's attention. "You have to find a different way to attack it! Quick!"

Link put the bow away, expression grim. "How can I if I can't shoot it?"

Phantom Ganon chuckled. Another orb of fizzling magic lit the air. This time, the specter faced Zelda. "My master detests this Sheikah," he chortled, sending the energy ball hurtling toward her. "Begone."

What? _I'm a target as well?_ Sheik released the bars, knowing she could not make a quick escape unless she threw herself down the stairs. She winced. _Which will hurt less?_

She did not have the chance to decide because Link suddenly leapt in the way of the orb, absorbing its energy. Zelda gasped as he shook. Phantom Ganon laughed.

 _Link, you fool,_ she thought incredulously as he recovered. _Why in Hyrule did you do that!?_

"You are no match for my power," the apparition taunted, hovering closer to the ground. Link wiped his forehead, panting.

 _He's too hurt,_ Zelda grimaced. _Saria. Saria? Can you hear me?_ Zelda sighed. _He can't take many more hits like that. Please hold out, Link._

The malevolent ghost continued to attack, sending balls of light the hero's direction. Link bashed the balls out of the way with his sword. By sheer luck, one of them flew straight back to the phantom and hit it square on the chest. It roared and dropped from the air, sizzling with electric current.

Navi zipped to the fiend. "Strike it! It's down!"

Link needed no telling twice. He ran over to Phantom Ganon and slashed repeatedly with his sword, making it yowl. Zelda watched as the boy attacked the monster unexpected skill. The ghost freed himself after several hits, floating out of reach again.

 _He's good,_ Zelda realized, eyes widening. For some reason it hadn't dawned on her until now. _Saria was right. He is strong._

The phantom roared angrily, conjuring an orb bigger than the ones before. Link just swiveled the Master Sword.

"I will end you," the fiend swore, swinging the ball at the hero. Link smacked the magic right back at him. Aggravated, Phantom Ganon reflected his orb again toward the hero. A strange game of back-and-forth ensued. _What kind of fighting style is this?_

Eventually, the magic overcame the ghost, encompassing him again with cackling light. Link came down on him with ferocity, blue eyes sharp. The phantom wailed under the young man's blade, barely struggling away.

Link caught his breath and straightened, readying himself for another game of catch. Zelda relaxed, figuring the battle was near its end. _Just a little more will do it._ But something about the phantom was different this time. The ghost's eyes burned brighter as he began to twirl his lance instead of throwing a ball.

Zelda tensed. Was he planning a different attack? She grabbed the bars, ready to spring over them. "Link," she warned. "I think he's going to—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. Navi's cry pierced the air before her own. _"Look out!"_

The ghost plunged, lance outstretched. Time slowed. Zelda could see as clear as day his eyes in the second before impact, and they were as big as stunned blue coins. It was too late to move. Too late to do anything. The lance pierced his midsection with a massive surge of lightning.

Link's body spasmed with electricity. The monster withdrew his lance and the boy stopped jerking, his eyes rolling backward, knees crumpling. Zelda was on her feet before he even hit the floor, scream ripping from her throat as he fell.

"LINK!"

It was like the world was frozen. His face hit the platform, his fairy still bobbing in disbelief, the ghost still hovering above his figure. Her vision blurred in disbelief. _NO!_

And then, almost as instantaneously as his fall, a pink orb rose from Link's body, encircling him in a magical shower. All the air flew out of her lungs as Link shifted, hoisting himself off the floor with both hands and standing up. Color returned to his face, Link turned toward the fiend with fresh determination. Even the nasty cut on his arm was gone, leaving only a gash in his sleeve.

 _He had a fairy._ The adrenaline that nearly drove her to gorge herself over the spires drained from Zelda all at once, bringing back all of intense aches in her frame tenfold. She leaned against the rail.

 _Sweet Hylia, he's alive._

"Link!" Navi's cry was happy, though less shocked than Zelda's. She probably _knew_ he had a fairy. "Be careful"

Link twirled his sword as if nothing had happened. "Yeah, I know."

The evil spirit boomed in frustration. "Why won't you _die_!?"

Zelda closed her eyes, trying to ignore her painfully racing heart and the pain creeping out from her back. She pressed her thumbs to her eyes, wiping away the dampness that had formed there. _I screamed his name,_ she moaned. Her scream was far too shrill to be a boy's. She suddenly found herself wishing she wasn't watching the battle. _Navi must have heard it._ She groaned again.

 _At least Link is alive._

Link deflected the last volley of Phantom Ganon's magical orbs, sending them spiraling back toward their creator. Finally, the fiend succumbed to his own magic, crumpling onto the platform. Link raced over and drove his sword into his side.

"No!" The phantom roared pathetically, bursting into flames. Link jumped back. Zelda gripped the spires, watching with anticipation as the the creature was consumed with blue fire. Her heart lifted.

An immensely dark presence suddenly overshadowed the room. Zelda's joy was quickly stifled. A different voice spoke, this one somehow more perturbing than the phantom's.

"Hey, kid, you did quite well… it looks like you might be gaining some slight skill…"

Link looked upward, gripping the sword. Zelda stared at the empty ceiling with a grim expression. No one was visible, but she knew the voice. The knot in her stomach deepened. _Ganondorf._ She made a fist. _He has been watching after all._

"That was only my phantom," Ganon's disembodied voice chuckled condescendingly, talking as if to a child. "The real me won't be so easy to defeat."

He laughed, and Link scowled.

The phantom released a pitiful howl from the center of platform where it hovered. Ganondorf chuckled again. "What a useless creation," he rumbled.

"Have mercy," the ghost pleaded. His body was so engulfed by flame that Zelda wasn't sure there was much left to be spared, but Ganondorf only laughed. "Mercy? I think I'll banish you to the gap between dimensions!"

Phantom Ganon writhed as his inferno suddenly intensified, shrieking. He twisted and trembled, wailing until his entire form had evaporated in the fire. The flames themselves disappeared into smoke, leaving no trace the creature had ever existed.

"Let that be a warning," Ganondorf boomed, chuckles falling flat. "That's what happens to anyone who defies me. You're next, kid!"

He guffawed, and the room filled with wind. Link shielded himself as Navi zoomed inside his hat, Zelda covering her face with her arms. The air blew around them chaotically.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it ended.

Silence followed. The spires blocking Zelda suddenly dropped into the ground. The dark aura clouding the room lifted, like clouds parting. She inhaled deeply. _I think it's over._

"Link!" Navi's tinkling cry broke the silence as she flew out of his hat. "You did it!"

The fairy soared to his cheek, squishing the side of his face. A genuine smile graced Link's features. "Thanks, Navi, but… not so hard!"

Zelda wiped her brow. She was feeling lightheaded. Dizzy, actually. As the hero and his fairy rejoiced, Link stopped trying to push Navi away and glanced Zelda's way. "You okay, Sheik?"

Zelda closed her eyes. "I'm fine," she managed. "We should get out of here."

Link stooped over to pick up something off the ground. Zelda recognized it—a heart container, Hylia's gift of life to heroes who accomplished great deeds. Zelda vaguely wondered how many he had already collected.

As Link accepted the revered gift, a light blue ring of light took form in the middle of the platform—a portal. "The sooner we leave this place, the better," he agreed. His eyes widened suddenly. "Wait, where's Saria?"

Sheik scowled. "I don't know."

Link glanced around, face falling. "Saria? Saria!" He scanned the room. "Where is she?"

 _"Tell him to through the portal,"_ the child's voice whispered in Zelda's head.

Zelda sighed. Painfully, she limped onto the platform, stopping in front of the portal. "This way."

Link stopped searching, eyes flickering to her. "What?"

"This will take us to her." She grimaced. "Trust me."

Link raised his eyebrows. "Oh." He frowned as he looked at the portal. "You sure?"

Zelda nodded.

 _Please take two people._ Zelda put her foot inside the ring at the same moment Link did, praying she wouldn't get left behind. Link cast her a worried look, to which she adjusted her scarf.

"Please take us to Saria," he murmured uncertainly. Navi echoed his wishes, floating between them.

The portal's light shone brighter, encompassing them. Zelda abruptly felt weightless. She looked down to see her feet lift from the floor. Link glanced up. 

_I hope this works,_ she thought.

Her vision was flooded with white.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Funny story. So it turns out that the chapter I originally wrote that took me three months to write was around 15,000 words, so I split it in two (AGAIN).

I was going to upload the other half at the same time as this one but I didn't have any time to polish it so I will upload *probably* within the next few days. It's finished, I just need to rewrite it like a thousand more times.

Hope the story is okay. ~.~ Will post soon.


	6. Link's Origin

_**Author's Note:**_ Betcha didn't know a couple of days meant week and a half. Yeah, uh, sorry. Blame tests and schoolwork.

* * *

Green was the first thing Zelda could make out that wasn't white. Her weightless limbs began to feel heavy again, and moments later, her feet touched ground. The light around them faded and their surroundings came into focus.

"The Great Deku Tree?"

Link took a step forward, confusion written all over his face. In front of them was a massive tree, tall branches teeming toward the heavens. A face was sculpted into its front, but the face was frozen in place, and the tree's bark was dull gray instead of warm brown. Zelda had longed to see the Great Deku Tree since she was a little girl, but this wasn't quite what she had anticipated.

Link was just as surprised as she, but for different reasons. "I don't understand," he muttered, looking to her for an explanation. "Why'd it take us here?"

Sheik groaned and pressed a hand to her back. "I'm not sure." _I thought it would go to the Chamber of Sages._

Navi suddenly fluttered away from Link's head. "Look!"

She flew to ground where a large green leaf was sticking out of the soil. Link frowned, crouching closer. "Huh. What's—"

The leaf suddenly burst from the earth, sending clumps of dirt and soil flying in every direction. Link went reeling backward.

A plant with a very swollen, yellowish trunk emerged, settling in the dirt. A face was carved into its front.

"Hi there," it smiled. "I'm the Deku Tree sprout!"

Link recovered from his fall, scrambling to his feet. Zelda just stared. _It can talk!_

"Ahh," the sprout sighed. "It feels so good to be out of the soil!" The sprout stretched its stubby branches. "You and Saria have purged the Forest Temple, so I can finally grow and flourish! Thank you!"

The young man's eyes widened. "Saria! Where is she?"

The overgrown sprout looked upward. Zelda and the Kokiri boy glanced up as well to see a bright blue pillar of light shining down from the sky. A figure was descending in the light toward them—the figure of a young girl. She didn't appear to be conscious.

They watched with wide eyes as the child descended until she touched ground. The blue glow around her faded as she stumbled on her feet, blinking as though she had been asleep.

"Where… am… I?"

Zelda recognized her voice immediately _._ Link rushed forward, falling to his knees.

"Saria!"

She stood no taller than Zelda's shoulder. Her hair was bright green, like fresh sprigs in spring, and her clothes were fashioned similarly Link's. Her eyes were a gentle sort of blue, possessing a quality that made her look wiser than her years. Link practically crushed her in his arms.

"You're okay!"

Navi swirled around the both of them happily as Saria sleepily returned the embrace. A smile slowly spread across her face. "I'm glad to see you, Link."

It was a bit like witnessing an older brother embrace his younger sister, though Zelda knew that was not the case. Link had described Saria seven years ago and she was exactly like his stories. It was a little nostalgic.

"It's been so long," Saria said as she broke away. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever come back."

"Sorry," Link responded. "I got taken by the sword."

"I know. It's okay." Saria smiled. "Kokiri Forest is so much more boring without you around to get into trouble!"

He grinned sheepishly and Saria laughed, patting his head. Zelda could see ten-year-old Link in her mind's eye, running through the forest and climbing trees, shooting things with deku nuts. She smiled to herself.

"It was always Link's destiny to grow up and leave the forest," the Deku sprout added in a cheery voice.

Saria turned to the plant with a look of delight. "Deku Tree, is that you?"

Link got to his feet as Saria inspected the plump sprout. "Wait," he interrupted. "What do you mean, you always knew I would grow up? I thought Kokiri weren't supposed to grow up."

Saria went a little stiff. The Deku sprout didn't seem bothered, however.

"The Kokiri never grow up," the tree agreed conclusively. "You are not actually a Kokiri, Link. You are a Hylian."

The clearing went quiet.

Link stood there, dumbfounded. "I'm a… _Hylian_?"

"That's why you grew up and no one else did," the plant continued. "I'm happy to finally reveal this secret to you!"

Link was like a statue, perfectly still, his mouth hanging slightly ajar. Zelda suddenly found herself sitting on the grass, head spinning. _This makes so much more sense…_

Link slowly raised a hand to his forehead, eyes fixed straight ahead. He was paling fast. "How come?"

The Deku sprout smiled. "You were born to a mother and father, like all Hylians. Your mother brought you here when you were a baby."

He stared. Zelda feared he was going to pass out, especially now that the words 'mother' and 'father' were being thrown around. She jumped up, in spite of her back, rushing over to grab his arm. Carefully, she lowered Link to the ground.

"Being a Hylian isn't bad," Navi tried to say, but her voice was too squeaky to hear.

Zelda released Link as he managed to ask, "Saria, did you know?"

The Kokiri clasped her hands and looked to the ground uncomfortably, grimacing. Zelda made a face.

"I wasn't told," Saria reluctantly admitted. "But I knew you weren't the same as the rest of us, Link."

"Why not?"

"Well, when you first came to us, you were very small. You could not walk, or talk, or eat like everyone else. You had no fairy." She sighed. "That's not how normal Kokiri are born."

He looked dumbfounded. "It isn't?"

She shook her head. "No. Kokiri never change, not even from the very start. We always look like this." Saria gestured to herself. "After many months, it was obvious that you were growing, so I knew from the start you were probably going to grow up. Me and the other Kokiri cared for you as you got bigger, until your were finally big enough to do things by yourself."

Link did not respond. He only stared at the grass. Zelda sighed, crouching beside him. The picture in her waistband suddenly sprang to mind.

"If Link wasn't born a Kokiri, how did he get here?" she asked in a low voice.

Saria glanced to Sheik, as if remembering she was still there, and then to the Deku Sprout.

"He came here a long time ago," the sprout began in a low voice. "A Hylian woman and her baby boy escaped into this forest, seeking refuge from the fires of a terrible war. The woman wandered the Lost Woods until she found the Great Deku Tree, explaining to him that she had been in a great battle and would not live much longer. She begged the Great Deku Tree to take in of her infant son. As the story goes, the Great Deku Tree looked into the child's face and saw his destiny was significant to the fate of the entire world, so he agreed. The woman collapsed shortly thereafter. Her child was raised as a Kokiri, just like she wished. It is said that the woman's spirit took the form of a tree after she passed on, so she, too, could watch her son as he grew up."

Zelda's eyes flickered between the girl and the sprout. "Why would the mother flee to the forest and not somewhere else?"

Saria looked away and the Deku sprout sighed. "We don't know. It must have been her only choice to save her son."

Zelda fell silent.

"I always knew I didn't fit in," Link mumbled suddenly. "At least now I know there's a reason why."

Navi floated over to his shoulder, taking seat there. "Link…"

"Your mother brought you here, Link," the sprout said. "You've always been bound to grow up and leave the forest."

Saria looked concerned. "You are special, Link," she insisted. "Kokiri or not, you're still one of us. Please don't be sad about that. You've saved everyone!"

Link frowned at her. "They never liked me."

Saria quietly approached, kneeling in front of him. "That's not true at all. Why, all anyone's ever done since you left is talk about how great you were. You're a hero, Link."

He lifted his eyes. "Even Mido?"

"Especially him." Her smile tightened slightly. "And especially me. You're a wonderful person." Her gaze turned remorseful. "I wish… we could stay in the same world."

Link looked alarmed. "What do you mean?"

Saria didn't raise her head, but her voice was sad. "I can't stay here. I have to return to the Chamber of Sages, at least until my duty is fulfilled."

Link looked at her like she had announced she was a Deku Scrub. "Huh?"

Zelda sighed. "Saria's the Sage of the Forest Temple."

Navi gasped again and Link's blue eyes widened, flying over to Sheik. "What?"

Saria laughed lightly, though her eyes were tearful. "I'm the sage, Link. Didn't anyone tell you?"

He made a face when Zelda glanced his way, and Saria laughed again. "You should listen to your friends, Link. Don't be so stubborn all the time."

Link's expression darkened in spite of her smile. "Does this mean you're leaving?"

The green-haired girl quietly nodded. "Your efforts to save me cleared the temple of evil, which woke me and my powers as a sage. I'm destined to help you save the world—from my place in the Sacred Realm."

Link looked a little unhappy. Navi tinkled, "we'll still see you, though, won't we?"

Saria shrugged. "In the Chamber of the Sages, I guess. But you need to awaken the other sages first. The evil in the world is getting worse every day."

"That is true," Zelda agreed.

"Link's set on finding the princess, too," Navi chirped, wings fluttering. "Do you know where she is?"

Link's ears went red and he gave Navi an embarrassed glare. "Navi!"

Saria giggled. "I see. It's true, isn't it? Just like old times."

Navi hid behind his back as the young man covered his face with his glove, ears progressively getting redder. "I just want to make sure she's okay, that's it."

Sheik glanced at Saria, eyes briefly connecting with hers. Zelda swallowed.

"I'm afraid I can't help you," Saria told Link gently, patting his knee. "but I'm sure you'll find her eventually."

Link scowled as Sheik relaxed. "I don't even know where she is," he went on. "Is she safe? Does she know what's going on? She might be in Ganondorf's hold already."

"I think you would know if she was in trouble," Saria replied comfortingly. Her gaze flickered to Sheik. "Right?"

"Yes," Sheik muttered. "She's fine. I've told him so already."

Link turned to squint at her. "You did?"

Sheik frowned. "Multiple times."

His brow suddenly lowered. "Hey! If you know that she's okay, then you _do_ know where she is!"

Zelda made a face. "I did not say that."

Link scowled, but the sound of Saria's laughter interrupted him. He grimaced, looking at the girl with concern. "What's wrong?"

Saria shook her head, trying to rid herself of the giggles. "Nothing," she finally managed as she regained her composure. She smiled fondly, glancing between Link and Sheik. "I hope one day, the princess will understand how lucky she is to have you."

Zelda scowled and Link just covered his face again.

Saria's countenance sobered again suddenly. "I need to leave," she started. "Link, I want you to have this." She took the young man's hand, tucking a green coin into his palm and closing his fingers over it. At his questioning gaze, she continued, "It's the Forest Medallion. As the Forest Sage, I will use my power to help you." She smiled, a bit sad. "I'm so proud of you, you know. You've grown up into a wonderful man."

He studied his closed fist for a moment. "I still didn't want to grow up."

Saria stood up. "Don't say that. You make such a handsome grown-up!" She laughed again at his predictably embarrassed expression. "Goodbye, Link."

"Bye, Saria." Link leaned forward so he could give the girl a final hug. "You've always been my best friend."

Saria's gaze dropped, an unexpected glimmer of pain in her eyes. She hugged Link back. "Yes. Of course. I will always be… your friend."

Her eyes flew fleetingly to Zelda, causing Zelda to blink. Had she seen that correctly? For a split second, Saria looked devastated. _Why did she glance at me?_

They released each other, smiling as if nothing was wrong. Saria stepped away, walking back toward Deku Tree sprout. "Tell the others I'm helping the Hero of Time save the world," she requested. "And don't be surprised if they don't recognize you right away!"

She stepped into a small portal that had appeared in front of the tree and a shell of blue light encased her body. Link scrambled to his feet as she floated into the air. "What others are you talking about?"

Saria turned as her form began to fade, cupping her hands around her mouth. "The Kokiri!"

Link sighed, watching as Saria disappeared, carried off into the Sacred Realm. "Oh."

"She's right," the Deku sprout said. "They won't recognize Link in his grown up body because they don't grow up."

Link dusted grass and dirt off his tunic with a frown. "So that's what she meant. Honestly, is there _anything_ good about being a Hylian?"

Sheik, who had long been standing with her arms crossed, scoffed slightly. "Well… Princess Zelda's a Hylian, if that's any consolation."

His ears perked up. He then scowled, giving Zelda a dirty look. "That doesn't mean anything," he mumbled.

She smiled.

The Deku sprout spoke up. "Well, you both have important destinies to fulfill. Many hard things lie ahead, but you can find great joy if you let yourselves." The little tree smiled. "Best be on your way!"

Sheik bowed toward the Deku Tree sprout. "We were delighted to have made your acquaintance."

The Deku sprout focused on her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Don't forget to find a fairy before you leave, wise one!"

Sheik exhaled slowly, straightening. _He knows who I am as well? I suppose that isn't surprising._ Pain throbbed throughout her body like a web, making it difficult to focus. "I'll try."

"I have a question," Link said suddenly, taking a light step forward. The Deku sprout smiled back at him. "Ask away!"

His expression was uncharacteristically somber for a moment. "Which… tree… is it?"

The sprout's smile grew. Zelda took a moment to understand. _He must be asking about the tree containing his mother's spirit._

The Deku sprout shook his branches merrily. "I've heard there's a unique tree behind your house. It blossoms year-round."

Link raised his eyebrows. "Behind my house?" His expression became determined. "Okay. Thanks, Deku Tree sprout."

The sprout looked happy as ever as he turned away. "Goodbye and good luck!"

Zelda fell into step beside Link as they walked away from the massive shape the Great Deku Tree and down a winding path. _A tree behind his house, huh? That must mean we're going to the Kokiri village…_

Navi was the first to speak. "Normally, we'd be heading to the temple of time to meet you, wouldn't we, Sheik?"

Sheik sighed, rubbing her head as they went around a corner. "I suppose. But since I went with you, there will be no need." She paused, reaching for her pouch. "There are some songs you still need to learn."

Link was clearly preoccupied with reaching the end of the path, but he managed to respond. "Songs?"

"Yes." Sheik went to grab her lyre and hesitated, fingers brushing the piece of paper in her waistband. "Actually… Link, there is something else I think I you should know…"

They reached the end of the path and Zelda stopped, eyes wide. Tree stumps bigger than anything Zelda had ever seen sat side-by-side along a shoe-worn road. Little windows and doorways were carved out the insides to form houses. A brook babbled in between the trunks, overshadowed by a small, hand-built bridge. Fairies and magical creatures flitted through the air. She caught her breath.

Link slowed down as they set foot into the clearing, glancing left and right with a nervous look on his face. "I don't see them. Where are they, Navi?"

"I don't know," she murmured.

 _The Kokiri village,_ Zelda thought, dazed. _So this is what it looks like._ Her brow lowered. _Where are the Kokiri?_

She had nearly taken another step forward when a child poked its head out of the nearest tree hut. She froze. The boy wore a green cap over his poofy orange hair, and a little fairy floated by his ear. A little girl stuck her head out as well, whispering loudly to the boy.

Zelda elbowed Link, who turned as three other green-clad children stuck their heads out of the stump. A couple more peeked out from a neighboring hut.

Link sheathed his sword, eyes bugging out.

"I think we found them," Sheik murmured.

As they watched, more heads began to pop out from cottages. Some children crept out from behind rocks, muttering to each other and staring at the newcomers in amazement. The children began to gather around them curiously, whispering avidly to each other. Just like every book Zelda'd read on the Kokiri Forest, each child had a little fairy companion and wore simple green clothing. It was almost strange to witness them with her own eyes. Even though the Kokiri appeared child-like, she also was aware that any one of them could be many, many years her superior.

One little girl with blonde pigtails cautiously stepped closer. "Are you the one who got rid of all the monsters?"

Link's eyes widened when he realized she and the others were looking at him. His jaw opened, but no words came out.

"We are," Sheik confirmed in a low voice.

The Kokiri broke into whispers again. Link scratched the back of his head, shooting a bewildered look at his fairy.

"Grown-ups never come to the Kokiri Forest," one child murmured.

"They look scary," another agreed.

A different child suddenly jumped in the air, pointing at Link. "Look! He's got a fairy!"

The Kokiri clustered nearby in astonishment, fighting to get a look of the light blue orb floating by Link's ear. Navi made a tinkling noise, as if embarrassed, taking cover behind Link's shoulder.

"It really is a fairy!"

"Is that your fairy, mister?"

Link cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Her name is Navi."

Their eyes widened. They tried to peek around his back at her, eyes growing wider. Navi fluttered nervously up to Link's head.

"They're all looking at me," she peeped. She suddenly dove into his hat. "Eeek!"

Link glanced up. "You okay?"

"Too many eyes on me at once!"

He smiled and patted his head. "It's okay, Navi. You'll be safe in there."

Some children began to giggle, crowding curiously around the teenagers. Zelda grimaced, not willing to draw attention to herself, even though the focus seemed to be on Link. It was sort of hard to watch him stand next to the Kokiri—his closest thing to family—as an unrecognized stranger.

A girl with short, reddish hair abruptly grabbed Link's hand. "Mister, I have a question!"

Link focused on the little girl. "Uh…what is it?"

"What's your name?"

Link's features slackened. Navi peeked out from the top of his head.

The other children piped in as well. "Yeah! What's your name?"

"Say it!"

"What's your name?"

Link looked helpless. "Uhhh… it's… um…" He swallowed, glancing at the ground. "Uh…"

The girl who had asked the question patted his arm. "It's okay. You can tell us!"

The young man's face was unreadable. Zelda was couldn't tell whether he wanted to say it or not. Finally, he sighed.

"Okay," he relented. "My name's Link."

For several moments, the Kokiri said nothing, only staring at Link with slightly open mouths. The girl seemed a bit thrown off. "Link?"

Link, looking a little grim, nodded. "Yeah. That's my name."

They stared at him. Slowly, they began to murmur to each other, tiny smiles emerging on their faces.

The little girl tugged on his arm. "We know someone named Link!"

"You do?"

"Yes! He was our brother! He used to live here a long time ago, before he left!"

Excited chatter from the Kokiri followed her words. "You look kinda like him, too!"

"We're still waitin' for Link to come back," one of the boys cut in. "Have you seen a kid like one of us out there in the world, mister hero?"

Link didn't seem to know how to answer that, awkwardly scratching his head. As the Kokiri surrounded him, an idea graced Zelda's mind. She crouched down. "We've been looking for Link's old stuff," she said, drawing their attention. "Could you take us to the place he used to live?"

The children looked at her warily, but several heads bobbed up and down. Zelda got the impression they weren't as comfortable talking with her. _That's fine. My disguise isn't exactly warm and friendly._ One of them pointed toward a tall tree stump huddled in a corner of the clearing. "His house is that way, right over there!"

Sharp pain threaded her side as she stood, but she was relieved. "I see," she grunted. "Thank you very much."

She stepped forward and the children quickly scattered out of the way. As she strode away from the Kokiri crowd Link's voice rang out after her. "Hey, wait up!"

Zelda passed by two other tree-house cottages and underneath a handmade bridge before she came to Link's house, a tall stump with a ladder descending from the entrance a story above. She studied it, soaking in the little details. Hand on her back, she stopped in front of a sign sitting feet away from the hut.

"Link's house," she read aloud.

Link fumbled in behind her, sounding a little out of breath. Zelda turned, offering him a little look. "So this is your house?"

Link nodded. "Uh-huh."

Zelda glanced up at the balcony. "This is where you grew up."

"Yeah. Just like the other Kokiri."

She touched the little wooden ladder, thoughts spinning. She peered up at the trunk, imaging the layout above. "You were here when the Great Deku Tree summoned you, weren't you?"

Link frowned. "Uh… yeah. How'd _you_ know that?"

Zelda averted her eyes. "Lucky guess."

He approached the ladder, gripping its rungs. Zelda watched him climb up to the wooden landing above and step through the opening. _It's big enough for an adult._ She slipped her fingers around the nearest rung, holding her breath.

"What are you doing up there?" she shouted.

She could hear his footsteps, and then a slightly muffled reply. "Getting supplies."

 _Supplies?_ Zelda set her foot on the lowest rung, ascending the handmade ladder, ignoring the pains in her back.

A curtain was tied to the side of the entrance of his house, which she stuck her head under. "Do you have Deku nuts? I'm fresh out."

If Link was alarmed she had just appeared at his doorway, he didn't show it. The room was circular, like a much, much smaller version of her childhood bedroom. In the center was flat cylinder of wood. On the far side of the room was a simple bed, one big enough for a ten-year old, and a window. The seventeen year old himself was crouching in front of something on the left side of the room, rummaging about. "Deku nuts? Yeah."

Zelda cleared her throat, trying not to sound eager. "Can I come in?"

He briefly glanced her way. "Sure. I don't care."

She stepped inside. The house was plenty tall enough for grown-ups, almost as if whoever built it had Hylians in mind. His room was very simple: a bed, a washing bowl, a mirror, and a table. Had Zelda visited this place in her princess years, before she'd become a runaway, she would not have believed one person could own so little. Lining the walls by the entrance were tools like hoes, picks, knives, rope, and even hay. Link was currently fishing through a little hole in the wall beside his child-sized table, the only place she could see any storage.

Zelda stopped in front of a sign hanging on his wall. Crude, child-like handwriting was scrawled across its face.

"Link's records," she read. "Spiders squished: nine."

Link suddenly looked up from his work. His eyes flew between her and the sign.

"Largest fish caught," she continued. "3 pounds." She raised her eyebrows. "Do you often go fishing?"

He reddened, standing up. "Don't read that stuff, it's not important."

Sheik turned toward him. "Did you write this yourself?"

He made a face, reluctantly approaching the sign. His face deepened in color. "Don't laugh."

Zelda adjusted her scarf so he could not see her smile. "I'm not laughing. Where did you learn?"

Link lowered his eyes. "Princess Zelda taught me once. Listen, I found some Deku nuts if you want them."

Sheik lifted her palms to accept the explosive nuts. "You remembered so much after only one lesson?"

He looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, she likes reading, so…" He frowned at her expression. "Don't get any funny ideas about it!"

She pocketed the nuts, feeling oddly flushed. She couldn't help it if she looked a bit stunned. _I had no idea he was so dedicated to learning._

"Is it strange to be back here as an adult?" she asked.

He walked back over the hole, drawing a small curtain over it. He paused to look at the small table beside him. "A little."

Sheik leaned against the wall, to the relief of her aching back. "It looks like you won't be able to use this bed anymore."

Link approached the bed with a pensive expression. "Maybe," he agreed grudgingly. "I bet I could if I pulled up my legs."

"That wouldn't be very comfortable."

Link sat on the edge of the wooden cot. "Guess not." He put his face in his hand. "I like sleeping outside better anyway."

Sheik smirked. "When there aren't monsters around."

"Yeah."

He fell silent. He was staring straight ahead, focused on nothing in particular. Zelda vaguely wondered what he was thinking about. _Perhaps he's reflecting on what the Deku sprout told him._

She brushed her waistband to see if the slip of paper had survived. It was still there, tucked away. Gingerly, she pulled it out.

 _Captain of the Royal Guard._ She briefly looked at Link, then at the sketch. Her chest constricted a little.

"There's something I should show you, Link," she began in a low voice. He blinked, as if coming out of a daze. He shot her a glance.

Zelda lifted the piece of paper. "I found this among some long-lost records in the Forest Temple."

Link leaned close, scanning it. She continued, "The Forest Temple used to be fortress during the Hyrule Unification War. It was occupied by Hylians last before its location was betrayed to the enemy."

Link lifted his eyes from the sketch, confused. "What's that got to do with me?"

Sheik handed him the paper. "The fortress is only a short distance away from the Great Deku tree," she explained. "There was an awful battle there around seventeen years ago. The Hylians were taken by surprise and everyone was slaughtered, even the great knight—the Captain of the Royal Guard—the man in this drawing. But the bodies of his wife and his infant son were never recovered."

Link did not move. For the longest time, he just sat there. "How do you know stuff like that?"

Zelda lowered her voice. "It's what's written in history books." Her voice became quieter. "After finding the records and hearing the Deku sprout's story, however, I think that the woman in this picture must not have died at the temple with everyone else. I think she must've escaped the battle, wounded, and fled into the surrounding forest with her baby."

Link stiffened. Navi came out of Link's hat to float next to the picture, lighting it up with her blue luminescence. Her voice was almost inaudible. "Sheik… are you saying that you think these are Link's real parents?"

Zelda silently nodded.

The young man stared at the sketch, expression abruptly turning bitter. "That's not proof of anything," he muttered. "Why do you think this lady is _my_ mother?"

Sheik was taken aback. Her voice fell above a whisper. "Why, Link… she looks just like you."

His eyes widened, eyebrows low. Navi landed on the sketch, wings quivering slightly. She suddenly gasped, floating back into the air.

"Sheik's right!"

Link didn't seem to know how to react. Frustrated, he got up from the bed, striding over to where the mirror hung above the little washbowl. He crouched down.

Link made a startled noise. Sheik trailed over, remembering this was the first time he was seeing himself after seven years.

"I look really weird!"

Navi tinkled and Sheik peered over his shoulder, puzzled. Link prodded his cheek, making faces at his reflection. "Ahh! What happened to me!?"

Zelda sighed to herself. _You don't look_ that _different._ "You grew up."

"You don't look bad, Link," Navi piped in.

Link scowled, studying his features. He held up the sketch next to the mirror, eyes flickering between it and the glass. Slowly, his obstinate expression began to fade. He peered more closely at his reflection, stupefied.

"Do you see it now?" Sheik murmured.

Link stood up, staring at the drawing as if his world had been turned upside-down. He pressed a hand to his paling forehead, eyes widening slowly.

He gazed at Zelda. Her heart faltered for a moment.

 _He looks so lost._

"I don't believe it," Link mumbled. Now he couldn't draw his eyes away from the sketch. "She… she's…"

Sheik placed her hand on his glove. "Link. It's alright."

He looked at her again, then back at the paper. His expression suddenly shifted again, this time with determination. He stepped away, walking quickly out of the hut.

Zelda followed, Navi hot on his tail. "Link?" she cried. They watched as, in one swift move, he leapt from the balcony to the grass below. "Hey!"

 _What is he doing?_ Zelda cringed, jumping down as well. Her injuries did not take the impact as well as she hoped. Staggering upright, she shook the stars from her eyes and whirled around. "Link!"

He was walking away. Zelda took two steps before seeing what he was heading toward. A small tree, not much taller than either of them, stood several paces behind his house. It was not very big or particularly notable, except for the dozens of of tiny pink blossoms on its slender branches.

Link came to a halt in front of the tree. Sheik stopped a few feet behind him with an exhale, realizing she had been holding her breath. A breeze rustled past, gently rustling the branches of the tree and Link's hat.

 _His mother's tree…_

Link glanced downward at the image in his hand, completely silent. Zelda wanted to say something to comfort him, but did not know what. Feeling helpless, she clenched her fists. She could only imagine what was going through his head. For several minutes, no one said anything.

His little blue fairy tentatively hovered to his side and took a seat on his shoulder. "Link?"

He glanced up.

"Yeah?"

Navi's voice was soft. "Are you okay?"

His gaze returned to the branches. "Yeah, I think so." He focused on the sketch again. "I just wish…"

"What?"

Link held the picture up. "That I could remember her."

Sheik glanced at the ground, thinking of her own mother. She lifted a fist to her chest. _I wish I could remember her, too._

Link stood there for a while longer, not moving or saying anything. After some time, he bent over, touching the tree. Zelda lifted her head.

He stepped away. At the base of the tree, the little picture of his mother sat, pinned in place with a rock. Surprised, she turned to Link as he began to walk away.

"You're just going to leave it there?"

He nodded.

Zelda opened her mouth, stunned. How could he just leave the only trace he had of his mother behind? She would give anything for even a tiny piece of her own mother. "Are you sure?"

To her further astonishment, Link smiled. "I know where I came from. I've always wanted to know that. Now I know that I have one more thing to fight for." He drew his sword. "My mother gives me the courage to keep fighting."

Zelda shut her mouth. She suddenly felt like a young, selfish child receiving a scolding. Humbled, she bowed her head.

"Wow!" Navi flew happily overhead. "Link, you sound so grown up!"

Link made a face. "Aw, I didn't want to grow up, remember? Don't tell me it's getting worse!"

Zelda shook her head and sighed. She turned from the tree, giving it one last look. For a moment, she thought she felt the presence of another person there. _Link's mother,_ she thought.

The three of them walked back around Link's house, leaving the blossoming tree in peace. Sudden weariness pressed down on Zelda like a brick, weighing down her eyelids and her every movement. She yawned.

"You okay there, Sheik?" Link asked.

Zelda wearily exhaled. "I think it's nearly time for me to retire for the day."

"It's only midday."

She groaned. _I'm hardly ever Sheik during daylight,_ she complained to herself. _You try running around all night and staying awake through the day, too._ "Perhaps I am coming down with an illness. I could use some medical treatment before I go… do you know of where I can get a fairy?"

Link raised his eyebrows. "Are you hurt or something?"

Zelda sighed again, more heavily this time. "Yes."

Navi giggled. "Sheik's been hurt this whole time, Link. Don't you remember during the battle?"

He narrowed his eyes, then widened them dramatically. "Wait, you're right!" He grimaced. "Sheik—are you alright!?"

Sheik shook her head, chuckling. "I'll be fine. Just get me a fairy."

Four Kokiri children were waiting for them when they came back into view, gathered in the road a ways up from Link's house. They were whispering uncertainly to each other again, as they had when she and Link had first appeared.

Zelda frowned. "Now what is it?"

Someone out of sight yelled, "they're over here!"

The kids turned toward the voice. Sheik, Link, and Navi did as well, but were unable to see past the dirt wall next to Link's house.

"Navi," Link whispered. "Check it out, will you?"

She fairy obliged, floating far above their heads. She dropped back down quickly. "Uh oh," she said.

"What is it?" Link started to ask, but before he could, the source of the ruckus came parading into view.

A little boy, not much different from the other boys and girls, marched along the road. On his face was the biggest scowl Zelda had ever seen. The other Kokiri didn't seem to keen to get in his way.

"Where'd ya say they went!?" he demanded. One of the Kokiri boys pointed warily in the direction of Link's house.

"They're right there, Mido," he gulped. "The grown-ups."

Mido rotated, eyes narrowed menacingly until they laid on the group standing before the tree stump. He yelped, leaping into the air. "GROWN UPS!? WHADDAR _THEY_ DOIN' HERE!?"

 _Oh dear._ Sheik wiped her brow. Link hurriedly sheathed his sword. "Mido?"

Mido became frenzied, bouncing from side to side. "How'd ya know my name!? Get out of here, ya stinkin' grown-ups, you don't belong here!"

Zelda knew Mido already—knew _of_ him, at least. Ten year old Link had described him well. The self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri, Mido was bolder than his siblings, but from Link's description, he was a coward. Not to mention a bully. She huffed. _I don't have time for this._ Gathering her energy, she began to walk toward the outraged Kokiri, sticking one hand into her bag.

"What're you doing!?" Mido scuttled back as she came closer. "Get back! You'll be sorry, ya hear!?"

Ignoring him, Zelda withdrew her lyre, strumming its strings. The other Kokiri, frightened by Mido's display, stared at the instrument in amazement. She began to play.

"We mean you no harm," she declared, coming to a stop at the fork in the road. Mido had backed himself all the way up to the fence, gripping it as if for his life. "No need to get everyone in a panic."

"D-d-don't come any closer," Mido seethed. "Who are ya? And why are you playin' that thing?"

Sheik played more loudly. "I am Sheik, a traveling minstrel."

Link, a little mystified, came up beside her. "Sheik? I didn't know you played the harp."

"Lyre," Zelda corrected. "I forgot. I still need to teach you songs."

Link raised his eyebrows but Mido started yelling before he could ask. "And who're YOU!? Why are ya wearin' Kokiri clothes?"

Link looked at Mido, expression more curious than it was angry. "Me? I'm Link."

Mido's jaw dropped. He stared at Link, paling rapidly. " _L-Link?_ "

Sheik and Link stared at Mido. For a fleeting moment, Zelda thought Mido actually recognized Link.

"Ain't it funny?" the nearest Kokiri boy jumped in, talking to Mido. "This grown-up has the same name as Link did! An' he kinda looks like him, too! But he's a hero, he saved us from the monsters!"

The other children jumped in as well, chattering excitedly. Zelda shot a look at Link.

Mido seemed to be a little relieved, though he was still pale when he looked at Link. "Oh. Okay. Say, but how do we know HE got rid of the monsters!?" His eyes narrowed and he put both hands on his hips, marching up to Link. He was only half his size. "Where's Saria!?"

The excitement of the Kokiri simmered, cooling slightly. Link made a face at Mido, not as amused as before. Sheik coughed.

"She's the Sage of the Forest," she announced with a flourish of the harp. Link, Mido, and everyone else looked at her. "Your sister Saria had to retreat to the Chamber of the Sages in the Sacred Realm. She resides there to help the Hero of Time, until he defeats the evil plaguing this land."

Mido's scowl quivered. "Hero of _What_?"

"The Hero of Time," Sheik exhaled impatiently. "A legendary hero who was foretold to arise when Hyrule's need was greatest."

Mido sneered. "Whatever! An' who's that supposed to be!?"

Sheik narrowed her eyes. "You're standing right in front of him."

Mido froze. Unwillingly, he looked back up at the young man.

"So it's you," he breathlessly grumbled. He backed off, a little stunned. Slowly, he turned to the other Kokiri. "Do any of YOU believe this?"

The children encircling them shrugged, nodding reluctantly. The blonde girl with pigtails spoke up. "I _told_ you they weren't bad."

Mido harrumphed, marching back over to the fence where he was standing before. "Whatever. I still don't trust 'em. Not until Saria comes back." He eyed Sheik and Link, arms crossed. "Whaddarya still doin' here, anyway? Ya already saved the forest."

Link put his hand on his hip. "Sheik needs a fairy."

Mido didn't look interested, but one of the little girls who had been questioning Link earlier stuck her hand in the air. "I know where one is!"

Zelda played a tune on her lyre. "I'm afraid I don't have time to find it."

Link looked at the girl. "You think you can find it for us?"

The girl nodded, smiling brightly. "Don't worry, I'll go get it and bring it back!"

Zelda quietly sighed in relief as the child skipped off, strumming the strings of the harp. "Link," she said. "I need to teach you some songs before I go."

Link faced her. "Songs?"

Zelda began to play a more elaborate tune. "Pull out your ocarina."

The Kokiri whispered, watching with fascination as Link reached for his pouches. Mido's grimaced when he pulled out the Ocarina of Time. "You play the ocarina, too?" Mido scoffed. "You really are just like that good-for-nothing abandoner."

Link huffed, ignoring Mido and looking at Sheik. "What kind of songs are you gonna teach me?"

Zelda closed her eyes. "Special songs. When played, they will take you to the temple they are connected with. I will teach you the song of the Forest Temple, the Minuet of the Forest. It will take you to the Sacred Meadow when played." She hesitated, opening her eyes again. "I shall also teach you the Prelude of Light, so you may travel to the Temple of Time, since we will not be meeting there after this."

Link nodded. "Okay." He lifted the sacred blue ocarina to his lips, closing his eyes as well.

Zelda focused on the lyre. "This is the Minuet of the Forest. Listen closely."

She played the familiar tune, its melody filling the village. The Kokiri quietly stood around them, as if watching a performance. Sheik finished her part, and Link began to repeat it.

Zelda watched him play the ocarina, a strange mix of nostalgia and sadness washing over her. _This reminds me of happier times._ He learned the song quickly, as he did seven years ago. When he finally opened his eyes again, she nodded. "Good. And this is the Prelude of Light."

They played on, the both of them, lyre and ocarina. The music was uplifting, hopeful. Zelda wished she could play like this more often. As the song came to a close and magical instruments came to a stop. Their small audience broke into cheers.

"Well done," Sheik congratulated. "You play well, Link."

He grinned sheepishly, glancing at the children around them as he put the Ocarina away. "Thanks."

Zelda replaced her instrument, returning to her thoughts. _Link is needed at Death Mountain, I know that much, but I hope the situation isn't so dire it can't wait a day or so. He has to travel._ _Besides, I can only advise him. The final decision is his._

"Sheik," Navi called, drawing Zelda out of her thoughts. "What should we do now?"

Zelda held her tongue. _Perhaps I should not say anything. Then maybe he_ will _go to Death Mountain on his own._ She cursed, shaking her head. _No, I must say something._

"Head to Kakariko," she advised. "The hookshot still requires retrieving, as stubborn as Link is about refusing to listen to me."

Link scowled. "Hey! I still got through the temple, even though you thought I couldn't do it!"

"You couldn't have gotten inside without my assistance," Sheik muttered under her breath.

Link sent her a dark look, to which she crossed her arms. "I'm only _suggesting_ you go to Kakariko. If you don't want the hookshot, I think I'll just pick it up for myself."

His eyes widened. "Wait, don't!" He cut himself off begrudgingly. "I mean, I guess I could have listened to you a little more…" He glanced at the ground. "That thing in Kakariko would have been nice…"

Sheik stared at him pointedly.

"I didn't say I _needed_ it," he quickly rescinded.

The young girl from earlier suddenly came running down the road, a small pink blob cupped in her hands and a smile on her face. "I've got the fairy!"

Sheik only barely managed to retain her composure. _Thank the goddesses!_ The girl stopped by where they stood. "Here you go!"

She released the magical creature in front of Sheik, who watched it flutter in the air. The little fairy flitted over to her, swiftly encircling her body in a shower of pink. Immediately, the pain in her back subsided, as well as various other pains in her arms and legs she had not noticed. Zelda straightened as the fairy flew off, suddenly exhausted with relief. "Thank you very much."

The girl giggled. "Don't mention it!"

Sheik stretched and yawned. Mido huffed. "Guess even grown-ups get tired."

"I am merely stretching," Sheik insisted, but interrupted herself with another yawn. "Link, you should get going to Kakariko. Go to the graveyard to find the item you seek."

Link cocked his head curiously. "Are we gonna see you again?"

Zelda sighed. "I'll be waiting for you at the next temple."

"Oh. Right."

She nodded. Turning toward the crowd of Kokiri, she bowed. "It was a pleasure to visit." She glanced at Link. "Until we meet again."

She thrust a couple of Deku nuts at her feet. Everyone gasped, covering their eyes as the nuts exploded with a flash and a bang. When the smoke cleared, the Sheikah had vanished.

"What kind of a trick was that?" Mido cried, outraged. "Can't ya just leave the normal way!?"

"Sheik does that a lot," Navi tinkled.

"Oh yeah," Link added, suddenly stuffing a hand into his pouch. "Actually, I have something to give back to you, Mido, before I leave, too."

Mido crinkled his nose at the young man. "What?"

Link pulled out something from his pouch and crouched down quickly, a tiny smirk on his face. "Here. It's a bit to small for me now, since I've grown up, you know. You can have it back." He dropped it swiftly in Mido's stunned arms before straightening and walking down the path leading out of Kokiri Forest. "That's all. I'll come back again some time!"

The Kokiri waved, shouting him good-byes and good-lucks. "Bye, Mister Hero!"

Link waved as he strode off. "Bye!"

"Bro," one of the boys said to Mido. "What'd he give you?"

Mido said nothing, face pale and body rigid. He clutched the item, as if to hide it. Cold sweat beaded his forehead and he stared at the seventeen year-old, eyes big with utter disbelief. "N-n-nothin'! Mind your own beeswax!" He finally managed to turn away from the others, smuggling his gain out of sight as quickly as possible. "I'm goin' home! Don't nobody bother me!"

Navi flew closer to Link's ear as he passed out of Kokiri Forest. "What did you give to Mido back there?" she asked.

Link chuckled, putting a hand on his neck. "Uh, nothing much. I just thought he might want the Kokiri Sword back after all these years."

Navi sighed. "Oh, Link."

Link shrugged, though he was grinning. "C'mon. It's time we go to Kakariko Village."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Since returning to school I no longer have my two wonderful proofreaders (aka my sisters) to read my chapters before I post them. If you notice more mistakes, that's probably why. Plus, it's a lot harder to tell what's working and what's not without them... _sniff..._

Give me a shout out if something doesn't make sense! Again, my brain is scrambled between work, school, and other stuff, so I am sorry if it seems a bit rushed or confusing. I hope-for the most part-it's mostly coherent, and enjoyable!

I'm excited to write the next chapter ;)

Will post again soon!


	7. Kakariko, Finally

Upon arriving at the Shadow Temple, Zelda put away her lyre and briefly muttered her transformation spell. Her body was encompassed in a flash of light.

Disguised again as Zara, she carefully climbed down into the graveyard, fighting to keep her heavy eyelids open. Death Mountain was no longer rumbling, she noted, although it still had fiery clouds. She yawned. _Curse Ganondorf and his endless troublemaking. I need to take a nap._

The village was caught up in its normal bustle when she trudged through the grassy plaza. Zelda opened the door of Maine's cottage, finding Maine standing in the kitchen in her usual spot. Her caretaker turned upon hearing Zelda's entrance.

"Zara!" Her voice swelled affectionately. "You're back."

Zelda gave her a weary smile. The house was nearly empty, except for Maine and the mustached man sleeping in the farthest cot in the room. Zelda's smile faltered when she noticed the nearby basket overflowing with laundry.

"By the goddesses, so much has happened while you've been out." Maine put a hand to her chest. "The mountain scared the living daylights out of everyone with all that shaking. The Gorons have yet to send word about all the hullabaloo, and I do wonder." She shook her head solemnly. "Charles promised to return shortly with his men. I hope, for once, he makes haste. This poor fellow, Mr. Talon, got attacked in his own house. It won't take long for Kakariko to follow if we don't do something."

Zelda sat down at the table. Maine reached for a plate set to the side of the counter, turning and placing it in front of the maid. Bread, cheese, and a slice of ham. "You missed lunch."

Zelda bit into the food without hesitation, realizing in that moment how ravenously hungry she was. Maine watched her for a moment, ruddy lips dipping into a frown. "Child, what happened to your face? You've got scars."

Zelda reddened, swallowing as Maine examined her. "Where in Hyrule did those come from?" Maine's concerned scowl turned to a scold. "Zara, how many times have I told you to carry a bottle of red potion with you when you go exploring? You know the longer you wait to use it, the less the magic will help you."

Zelda studied her food, chargrinned. Maine shook her head. "It looks like it may fade. A few doses of potion would help. Silly girl. At least come here, if nothing else. I am experienced at cleaning wounds. You know that."

She returned to the stove. Zelda's face still burned with embarrassment. If she kept coming home with wounds like this, Maine would get suspicious. Chewing another bite of bread, she ran her fingertips over her cheek. It was warm with heat. Sure enough, she could feel a raised sliver of a scar.

She finished her meal more slowly, drowsiness creeping back into her eyelids. Maine began to reminisce about a time, years ago, when Hylians didn't have to worry about carrying healing magic with them everywhere they went. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Zelda nod off, immediately changed the subject to scold the girl about going to bed earlier.

Maine's words fell on hollow ears, for Zelda was half asleep already. Pushing her chair away from the table, she stood up and walked toward the wide basket beside the kitchen cabinet. Hefting it in her arms, Zelda peered around the laundry as best she could so she would not run into anything.

Maine paused her sermon. "Oh, yes, the laundry. My, that's full. Do you need help carrying it to the river?"

Zelda shook her head. More laundry meant more money. Maine reluctantly looked back at the dough she was kneading. "Alright. But that's a mighty hefty load." Under her breath, she added, "I don't understand how a maid as small as yourself can even hold it upright, dear."

Zelda smiled bittersweetly. Bitter, because even those closest to her underestimated her. Sweet, because she was protected all the more for it.

Zelda left the warmth of Maine's cottage with the basket, sights set on the gate of Kakariko. Even in dire times, the villagers depended on Zara, the little maid, to brave Hyrule Field and wash their clothes. It was a suitable method of income, one she'd been doing since she was thirteen. Zelda yawned. _The cold water will help awaken me,_ she told herself.

As she passed under Kakariko's sign, someone barreling in the opposite direction slammed into her. Barely keeping the basket in balance, she shot a look at the perpetrator. It was a man she did not recognize.

"Ah," the man mumbled, stepping back. He was wiry and without so much as a hair on his shiny, bald head. His gaze flickered over her in a fidgety, shifty manner. "Sorry, miss. Say, whose household is greatest in this village of yours?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes. Kakariko rarely had visitors, much less nice ones. It did not matter much. Zara was mute. She shook her head, unable to convey anything else.

A look of impatience passed over the stranger's face. "You live here, don't you? Which house belongs to the leader?"

She adjusted the laundry in her arms, which was growing heavier by the second. She shook her head again. Seeing his growing frustration, she pointed to her mouth and shook her head adamantly. _I cannot speak!_

He wasn't getting the message—or he simply didn't want to accept it. He forced a smile onto his cheeks. "Whatever, miss. Thanks for your help." He leaned in and, to her bewilderment, patted her arm like an old friend before scurrying away.

Zelda stared at where he'd been standing for a moment, stunned. She sensed something foreboding about that man. _It's nothing,_ she persuaded herself, warily starting down the flight of stairs out of Kakariko. _I'm imagining things. The villagers can handle themselves._

Zelda set her burden on the riverbank in Hyrule Field, allowing herself to stretch her back. The water was more agitated than usual today. Most times, she would walk down the river a ways and launder where the water was gentler, but she had no desire to make that journey now. She knelt beside the basket and sighed. Truth be told, she often enjoyed the time she had in the peaceful, open air of the rolling field.

She turned the basket over and picked a washboard and waxy bar of soap from the pile. Selecting topmost garment, she plunged it into the icy river and began to scrub. The current threatened to tear the items from her hands, but she did not let it. Zelda'd developed a wicked grip over the years.

She soon lost feeling in her fingers as well as sense of time, drifting to her innermost thoughts as she washed. Today, her mind settled quickly on the problem and solution that was Link.

She didn't want to think about Link. He made her uncomfortable. She still did not know how she felt about his unexpected return or the duty to him that had suddenly upended her life. She had little idea how he—or she—would feel if he uncovered her true identity, but if he did, she'd certainly be at Ganon's mercy.

 _Ganon._ She scrubbed harder. After several seconds, the placed the piece of washed linen in the basket and grabbed the next one. Yet another subject she didn't want to dwell on. Ganondorf's reign of darkness over Hyrule felt like one that had lasted for centuries, though it had been less than a decade, and Zelda knew her faith in the legends was shabby _._ Ganondorf had the Triforce of Power in his possession already. They would have to face him at some point, and the way it sounded, Link would have to fight him head on…

Zelda shoved the thought from her head with a surge of fear. No. The sages would plan something else. She would make sure of it. Her mouth twisted into a tight line. _That's only after Link has awoken all of the sages, anyway, if they happen to be ready to awaken at all._ _And there is the problem of the leader. There are only six temples. I doubt the last sage will simply show himself after we wake up the others. How are we supposed to find such an elusive character?_

Her thoughts strayed to her late father as she continued washing, and Zelda finished the laundry on a somewhat somber note. Gathering the damp clothing, the washboard, and the soap in her basket, she turned from the river and walked back toward Kakariko.

A scream echoed out of the village as she approached, and the sense of foreboding Zelda'd experienced in her chest earlier blossomed into dread. _Oh no._ She picked up her skirts in one arm and rushed up the steps as fast her feet would carry her.

There was clearly a commotion in the village, but at first glance, she could not figure out what the cause of it was. Several other villagers milled about the plaza, looking to one another in confusion. Zelda paused to catch her breath at Kakariko's gate. Who had screamed?

Shouts arose from the other side of the houses nearest Zelda, out of her line of sight. She stepped forward, eyes squinted, straining to hear what the tumult was about. At the same moment, someone came running through Kakariko's gate right behind her.

 _Omph!_ Wet laundry, which happened to be much heavier than dry laundry, spilled from her grasp as she tumbled forward. Zelda fell onto the basket with a painful _crunch_ as all her clean linen scattered across the dirty ground.

It was one thing to be run into occasionally, but twice in one day? Knees and palms throbbing, she whipped around to glare at the culprit. Instead of the bald man she was expecting, however, she found a blonde-headed, very-surprised-looking Link.

 _Link?_

His blue eyes were wide with surprise. "I'm so sorry," he spluttered, reaching down to help her up.

 _Link? In Kakariko?_ Zelda accepted his hand, stunned. She'd only left him an hour ago. _How did he travel that fast by foot?_

Navi sounded mortified as Link lifted the maid to her feet. "Link!"

"I know," he repeated with a grimace. "I was, uh, thinking. I'll get it." He knelt and started gathering laundry in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Navi squeaked. Zelda realized she was speaking to her.

 _I'll be fine,_ Zelda thought, opening to her mouth to reply. _Wait!_ She snapped her mouth shut. _I'm mute!_

"Good," the fairy responded as Zelda nodded. "Link needs to watch where he's going!"

Link's ears went red. "I said I was sorry," he retorted. "I didn't mean to knock her over!"

Navi flew up to his nose. "Say it to _her_ , not to me!"

He gave his fairy a dirty look. "I already did!"

"Stop acting like a child!"

Grumbling, Link got back on his feet, a bunch of clothes stuffed under one arm. He faced Zelda.

The boy fell silent. For several awkward seconds, he stared at her. Zelda grew more and more uncomfortable as the silence stretched on.

Navi bumped him on the shoulder. "Say something!"

Link glanced at his companion with an sheepish scowl, cheeks going red. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't see you."

He stood there, waiting for her to respond. Zelda fidgeted. _How do I react? Smile?_ She forced a smile onto her face, but his expression went from bad to worse. _Oh no. I did the wrong thing._ She rubbed her forehead. _Goddesses, he probably thinks I hate him now._

Link watched as she stooped over to pick up the laundry, crouching down beside her. "Let me help," he insisted, grabbing the basket.

Zelda shook her head. Seeing his crestfallen expression, she grimaced. _Sorry… it's my job, not yours._ She tugged the basket from his fingers.

He rubbed his head and glanced at Navi. Zelda averted her eyes so she couldn't see him—it was all she could do to keep herself from speaking up and blowing her cover. _By Din's Fire, I need to get away from him before I do something stupid._

An angry cry suddenly interrupted her scrambled thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder. Through the commotion in the village, Zelda spied a familiar bald man with an overstuffed black bag on his back darting away from the Great House.

"Link," the fairy gasped.

"I see him," the boy replied.

"Thief!" A villager ran out into the square, heaving. "He's a thief! Somebody get him!"

Surprise quickly ignited into anger in Zelda's chest. _So this was his reason for visiting Kakariko village—to rob us!_

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Link standing. "Wait here," he said, darting toward the fuss.

 _How had I been so foolish as to let that criminal in?_ She indignantly climbed to her feet and followed him.

The criminal scurried up the road, outpacing the skittish villagers around him. Through the doorway of the Great House, Zelda could see Anju in tears and Brumar on the floor, holding his head. The house was a mess: books were thrown from their shelves and the table was on its side. Whatever that man had been looking for, he was determined to find it. Emotion surged through her upon seeing Impa's home so ransacked. _He'll regret this!_

As Link broke into a run after the thief, Zelda reached for her pouch.

It was gone.

Zelda checked her waist again, shocked. Where was it? Where was her pouch? She whirled around and ran back to the entrance of Kakariko, falling to her knees and shuffling through the spilled laundry. The pouch was nowhere to be seen. Zelda began to panic. Had it fallen in the river when she was washing? That enchanted bag held everything—her Sheikah disguise, her lyre, her bottles, her weapons. If she had any chance against Ganondorf, it was because of the things in that pouch. She sat back on her haunches in shock. _How could I lose it!?_

At that moment, the thief tore into the marketplace. He nearly barreled over Jessica, who shrieked. Several villagers tried to grab him, but he slipped right between everyone's sweaty fingers and sprinted for Kakariko's gate, making Zelda the only obstacle between him and freedom. She clenched her fists.

As he passed by, the unsuspecting little maid launched herself into his legs, knocking him over. "What the— _ow_!"

The sack hit the ground. She lunged for it as he sat up. "Hey!"

Zelda grasped the sack. Just before she could pull it to safety, the man's long arm shot out. He grabbed the goods with one hand.

"You little—" The thief gasped as she kicked him in the side, twisting his hand. " _Ow_!"

They struggled briefly. She'd nearly wrenched the sack from him when the glint of a blade being drawn caught her eye. She rolled aside not a moment too soon.

The small dagger passed over her harmlessly. The man's knee, however, came crashing into her midsection a moment later. She wheezed, releasing the sack.

The thief jerked it back and scrambled to his feet. As Zelda lay on the ground fighting to inhale, he made his getaway.

The would have been the end of Sheik had she not stalled the man just long enough for Link to catch up. The bright green seventeen year old slammed into him right before he reached Kakariko's gate, throwing them both onto the grass.

Kicking and yelling, Link managed to get his arms around the crook while his fairy flew circles around their heads. Zelda pushed herself onto her elbows, watching incredulously as they wrestled only a few feet away.

"Lemme go," the thief wheezed. "Lemme go you overgrown tree!"

Navi gasped. "That's rude!"

"At least I'm not a dirty rat like you," Link grunted in response.

They rolled across the spilled laundry, knocking into the tree that stood in front of town square. The villagers gasped in astonishment—Zelda especially, who noticed the thief's black sack was lying nearby.

The young hero huffed as he tried to keep the weasel constrained. After a few more seconds of grappling, however, the crook wormed out of the boy's grasp and jumped to his feet, reaching to seize his bag. His face contorted with confusion when he realized it wasn't there. "Hey!" His gaze flickered to where Zelda sat and became angry. "Gimme that!"

She scowled, backpedaling as far as her limbs would let her. The thief leapt after her, fingers like greedy little claws. Fortunately for her, Link got up at the same moment and lunged for the man, grabbing a fistful of the back of his shirt.

"Leave her alone," he barked, drawing his sword. The thief spun about to face Link, noticing the blade. His eyes widened and his skin turned pasty.

Without a second's hesitation, he threw his hands over his head. "Wait!" he cried. "Don't hurt me!"

Link scowled. After a few tense moments, he lowered his weapon, keeping a firm hold on the thief's shirt. The onlooking villagers behind them cheered.

"Apologize," Link suddenly demanded, forcing the thief to face Zelda.

Sweat glistened on the top of his shiny head. He looked at the girl on the ground before him in bewilderment and Zelda returned the expression with surprise. _Apologize?_

Link was in no mood to be patient. "Apologize!"

"I'm sorry," the man quickly stammered. "I'm sorry!"

Zelda was a bit flabbergasted. Navi appeared next to Link's ear, wings fluttering. "What are we going to do with him?"

Link narrowed his eyes. "I dunno… but he's got something coming."

Before the thief could beg for mercy, a large man with a great, black beard rumbled up to them. "Thanks for nabbin' this fella, lad," Grock said, slapping Link on the shoulder. "I'll take him to the cell. He ain't goin' anywhere."

Link nodded. The thief whined as the Grock's meaty hands encompassed his skinny arms, obliterating any hope of escape. Link's gaze flew to Zelda, who was still on the ground. "What about her?"

Grock looked confused. "Zara? She ain't the friendliest one, but she's part of this village as much as anybody else."

Link frowned. "But she's hurt. Isn't she?"

The large shopkeeper scowled. "Zara," he grunted. "Did you get hurt?"

Zelda glanced up. She quickly shook her head.

"She's fine," Grock translated.

Link's expression remained unsatisfied. "Why won't she talk?"

Grock raised his eyebrows. "The lass is mute, that's why. She's never spoken a word so long as she's been here."

Zelda pretended not to hear them, focusing her attention on the sack.

"Help her with that bag—er, what's your name, kid?"

Link said, "Link."

He chuckled. "Alright. Good to meet ya, Link."

Grock turned away, hauling off the unwilling criminal. Zelda kept her eyes low, trying not to look conspicuous.

Link watched her rummage through the stolen items. "Are you sure you're okay, uh… Zara?"

Zelda pursed her lips. _Why does my name have to be Zara?_ _It sounds too much like Zelda._ _Could Maine not have picked another niece suitable for me to impersonate?_ She nodded without looking up at him.

Link murmured something to himself. He stood there for several seconds before adding, "it looked he hit you pretty hard back there. You know, after you pushed him over."

Her fingers touched a small brown bag at the base of the sack. Reeling with relief, Zelda withdrew it and—sure enough—it was the pouch she had been missing. _Thank the goddesses!_ _The thief must have snatched from me when I spoke with him earlier._ She opened it up, checking to make sure all her things were in place. _I'm so glad I found it!_

She realized after sifting through her belongings and tying the pouch back to her waist that Link was still waiting for an answer. She started. _Why does he look so concerned?_ Oh, right, she was a quiet little maid who'd just been attacked by a strange man. She smiled at the worried boy and stood up, fixing her dress.

Link was about to say something else when a girl in a bouffant dress suddenly stumbled up to them. Link and Zelda looked at Jessica as she struggled to catch her breath.

"My necklace," she puffed. "That man robbed me of my necklace!"

Zelda had never seen the girl so distraught. Confused, Link repeated, "Your necklace?"

"Yes!" She heaved, patting her frizzy curls. "He stole it right off my neck! It—it—it's my favorite one!"

Link turned to where Zelda stood beside the sack. As he moved, however, he stopped and stooped over to pick up something sparkly from the grass.

He straightened and held out the object to Jessica. "Is this it?"

Her eyes widened. She exhaled with a long _whoosh._ "Yes!"

Jessica accepted the necklace and clung to it like her life depended on it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"No problem," he replied.

She sniffled, eyes full of gracious tears. "What's your name?"

Link glanced at Navi. "It's just Link."

"Oh." Jessica wiped her nose, cheeks turning rosy. "You're my hero, Link!"

He smiled awkwardly in response.

"I must tell Mummy about this," she spluttered, wheeling around. Without another word, she ran off in the direction she'd come.

Zelda noticed other villagers approaching as she left. Navi noticed as well. "Look, Link," she chirped. "More people are coming to get their things."

"Yeah, they are." His gaze snapped back to Zelda. "Could I have that bag?"

* * *

After everyone had received what had been stolen, the books (for there were many books in the sack) were returned to the Great House. Ironically, the thief was imprisoned there, too, in the very house he robbed. It was decided among the villagers that he would stay there until Charles returned and decided his fate. Lord Charles was not the person to be handling such matters, in Zelda's opinion, but the matter was out of her hands.

The village was buzzing with energy as Zelda returned to gather the dirty laundry. _Looks like I need to rewash all of it…_ She sighed. It was thoroughly soiled after being tossed and trampled and rolled over.

Link slipped out of the bustling marketplace as soon as he noticed her return to the gate. Zelda was picking up the last of the dirty laundry when she saw him approaching.

"Hey, Zara!" he called. "Let me help you."

Zelda placed the soap and the washboard in her basket, looking up at him as he came to a stop. She shook her head.

"But… I was the one who knocked you over, remember?" He crouched down. "You could at least let me carry the basket for you."

She pulled it away and shook her head again. Link's expression soured.

A yell from across the plaza interrupted their exchange. "Zara!"

Link turned just as a woman trotted up to them. "Zara," she cried. "I saw what you did back there! Don't you think for one second that I missed it!"

It was Maine, and she was beaming. "I'm proud. I'm so proud! You're such a brave girl! And you!" She smiled hugely at Link. "Goodness knows what we'd've done if you hadn't snatched the thief like that!"

Zelda hoisted herself and the basket to her feet as Link fumbled for a reply. His gaze flickered between her and Maine. "Who are you?"

Maine put her fists on her hips. "The name's Maine, young man, and you've no need to tell me yours! I've heard it's Link. Good as a name as you get in the forest, I suppose. Why don't you join us for supper? I cook a mean stew and I've got a seat with your funny little name on it!"

Link scratched his head. "Eh?"

"Come now." Maine stuck out her palm and helped the boy to his feet. "Just look at you—you're far too skinny! You'll eat the stew. So many folks stop by around dinnertime anyway." Her gaze drifted to Zelda and her soiled basket and her brow puckered. "Say, Zara… didn't you wash that laundry already?"

Zelda gazed at the dirty load and sighed.

"It's my fault," Link cut in. "I ran into her earlier and knocked her over."

"Oh," Maine remarked. "I see. That's a shame. It needs to be washed again, then. Is that where you're going?"

Zelda nodded.

Maine sighed. "Then I suppose we won't be seeing you until later. Be quick. I'll keep dinner brewing until you get back."

Link scowled. "Can't I help her wash it or something? I knocked her over."

Maine raised her eyebrows. "Well… you could, but you'd be messin' with her job. She's paid to launder clothes in the river since nobody has much guts to do it themselves. Not glamorous, I think, but Zara earns a nice pay. I doubt the girl would let us help her anyway—would you, Zara?"

Zelda shook her head. Maine chuckled and added, "See? She's a quiet as mouse and stubborn as a goat!"

 _As a_ goat _?_ Maine chuckled again at Zelda's distasteful expression. Link, however, frowned bitterly.

"Let's get going before the food burns!" Maine suddenly whirled Link about so he was facing the square. "We've got a lot to do before we eat, you know, and the house may burn down without somebody in it!"

Link tried to turn back. "Wait—"

"Zara will be fine," Maine interrupted. "The faster we go, the better! Get a move on! Chop chop!"

Link relented out of embarrassment. "Okay, okay." He and Navi and Maine finally started the direction of her home.

Zelda smiled to herself as she left Kakariko village.

* * *

By the time Zelda had finished rewashing the clothes and hanging them up to dry, the sun was sinking in the sky. Zelda trekked back to the cottage with her empty basket in hand. She could hear lively conversation coming from within before she'd even opened the door.

"…you mean Princess Zelda!"

Zelda's body went rigid on instinct. The door slammed shut behind her and five pairs of eyes, including those of a certain little hero, burned into her.

Zelda stared back at those eyes in cold shock. How could they have found her out!?

"Zara," Maine said from the stove. "Come and get dinner."

 _Dinner?_

"You're pulling my leg," a man—the pink-shirted jokester named Chim—laughed at Link. "Nobody's seen the princess in seven years!"

Link tore his gaze from the maid with a scowl. "It's not a joke."

Zelda's body slowly relaxed as she came to the conclusion they were not talking about _her._ She timidly edged around the tables with her laundry basket tucked under one arm, pretending not to be interested in the conversation. _Why in Hyrule are they discussing this?_

Shikashi coughed. He sat adjacent to the Kokiri, sipping tea from his wrinkled hands. "It's true she's gone," he said. His voice fell. "But there are rumors."

Chim began laughing again. "Oh yeah, there are tons of rumors! Mostly old wives' tales." He leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. "Honestly, I'd forget about the whole thing if I were you. Not worth the trouble."

Maine clucked her tongue. "Don't dash the poor boy's hopes before he's even got the chance to search for the princess. There are things almost everyone knows."

Link looked to her hopefully. "Like what?"

"Well," Maine began as she handed Zelda a bowl. "For one thing, we do often hear stories from travelers of a girl in the Gerudo Desert. There are quite a few folks who believe she's out there, hiding from the evil King."

Zelda took a seat at a small table out of the way, eyes flickering between the villagers. Chim slapped his knee. "A girl in the _Gerudo_ Desert?" He chortled so hard he almost fell out of his seat. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Maine rolled her eyes. "A Hylian girl, you nitwit."

Link interrupted impatiently. "So she's in the desert? Where's that?"

"It's beyond Gerudo town," Shikashi wheezed. "Few have ever reached it."

Maine echoed her agreement. "Aye. It's impossible to cross."

From the corner, a lean figure with a mug began to laugh. Those in conversation fell quiet, looking at the bearded man.

"You fools," he muttered. "The princess ain't in the desert."

Zelda's hairs prickled again. She lowered her eyes, ears sharp.

"Where is she then?"

Horan lifted a heavy mug to his lips. "She's dead."

The cottage went gravely silent, as if the air had been sucked clean from the room.

Finally, the Kokiri boy spoke. "You're lying."

Horan raised an eyebrow. "Lying?" He chuckled gruffly. "How would you know that, kid? You've seen the princess?"

Link's mouth was twisted into a tight. "I know a Sheikah who has."

Maine gasped so abruptly Zelda nearly spit her food. "You've spoken with Sheik?" she cried.

Link's blue eyes zipped back to her. "You know Sheik?"

The townspeople all began to murmur at once.

"Sheik's been running around these parts for a long time," Chim stammered. "But nobody's talked with him face-to-face!"

"Nobody indeed," Maine agreed, pressing a hand to her chest.

Link blinked. "Really?" He frowned. "Why not?"

Shikashi sipped his tea. "He keeps to himself, lad. Only comes around when there's trouble"

"Yeah, but…" The Kokiri made a face. "Aren't there any other Sheikah around here?"

"No. The Sheikah vanished seven years ago."

"When you met Sheik," Chim cut in, "Did he look… transparent? You know… Ghostly?"

The young man shot him a funny look. "No. Why?"

Chim shuddered. "Uh, no reason. Don't worry about it."

Link narrowed his eyes at Chim. Maine sighed and set her ladle down, wiping her hands on her apron. "Don't scare the boy," she scolded as she drew up a chair by the table. "Some folks believe Sheik is…" She lowered her voice. "dead."

Link's eyes widened. "What?"

She nodded. "Well, that's how it seemed. We thought we saw him die."

Link leaned forward, face brimming with curiosity. "Tell me."

Maine sighed again. "It happened about four years ago. See, a group of Gerudo came to the village lookin' for Princess Zelda. Guess the leader was convinced we villagers were hiding her."

"You weren't, were you?"

"No! Pfft, as if we had any idea where the princess was! But they didn't believe us. Started sacking our houses, throwin' people into the streets. It was downright rude!

"One moment we were losin' to them and the next Sheik was there, fightin' 'em off. He and the Gerudo leader really got into it, you see. He had almost got them out of the village when her sword went straight into his chest and came out, like this." Maine mimed thrusting a sword. "Sheik dropped like a sack of potatoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. Before the Gerudo could get back together, we villagers mobbed up and chased 'em out. When we came back, his body was gone."

"Vanished," Chim recalled dramatically. "Nothing but a puddle of blood."

Maine resumed, "The Gerudo came back in the dead of night a few days later. Woke up the whole village. Told us they were going to finish the job and there were no Sheikah left to protect us. We were about to be overcome when, out from the darkness, steps this monster all wrapped up in bandages from head to toe. I saw him myself and I confess he scared me half to death."

"Sheik?" Link asked.

Maine nodded. "Everyone thought he was some kind of redead at first. Went fleeing in terror. Then he started attacking the Gerudo. Nobody was expecting him to come back from the dead, especially not them. They abandoned the village and ran. They never came back."

Zelda couldn't quite read Link's expression. He seemed genuinely surprised. Maine sat back in her chair. "That's why everybody thinks he's dead," she concluded.

"Nope," Chim said. "He's undead. Maybe a demon. My brother says he's seen the wound on his chest where the Gerudo ran him through."

"Pish posh," Maine chided. "Your brother his a nasty gossip. He's never been close enough to tell!"

"He's got keen eyes," Chim sniffed, offended.

An argument broke out over the table. Zelda's attention returned her dinner. _I wish the stories were true,_ she thought solemnly.

Link scratched his head. "Sheik didn't look dead when I met him."

"Perhaps," Shikashi said over the noise, "he revived himself with potion before succumbing to death."

Maine abruptly left the argument to cut in. "No, I saw him. He was gone! There is no way he could have come back."

"Well, then how do you think he runs around the village, woman? He's undead!"

Maine shot Chim a steely look. "Shut your trap or you won't be sleeping in a bed tonight!"

Chim folded his arms but did not push the matter. Maine cooled slightly, leaning over the table. "I think there was another. A girl."

Link fiddled with his spoon, brow furrowed. Chim looked incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"I seen it. Sheik and this girl. Sneaking around the place when they thought nobody was lookin'. Looked like a young thing with long blonde hair. Probably a Sheikah, too."

"A girl?" Chim made a face. "Why ain't anybody else seen this girl? Sheik's always been the only one protecting the village."

Maine glared and Chim shut his mouth. Lowering her voice, she continued, "I think he was keepin' her out of sight on purpose. Like she was important to him."

"A younger sister?"

"Maybe." Maine got a gleam in her eye. "Or his lover."

"Eh!?"

"It makes perfect sense. Sheik fell in battle. I think his secret lover swore revenge and dressed up as him to carry it out."

Chim scoffed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"More ridiculous than Sheik being _undead?"_

Maine and Chim began arguing again. Link was studying the table with wide eyes, as if Maine's theories had struck a nerve. Meanwhile Zelda tried to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible, nervously praying none of them looked her way.

A noisy rap at the door interrupted the argument at the table. It swung open without waiting for a response. "I smell something rapturous," Mamamu Yan declared.

Link turned to face the newcomer just as Jessica popped her head through the door. "Mother," she hissed. "That's him!"

Mamamu Yan's brow raised. She sent her daughter a questioning look. " _Him_?"

Jessica nodded vigorously. She stepped into the cottage, eyes flickering between the young man and the floor.

"This is Link, the boy who caught the bandit," Maine declared proudly.

Mamamu Yan composed herself, expression far less enamored than the one on Jessica's face. "Oh," she remarked. "Jessica told me all about you. Where are you from?"

Link rubbed his neck. "Kokiri Village."

Mamamu Yan frowned distantly. "Mmm. Is that in Hyrule?"

"It's in the Lost Woods."

A distasteful look crossed her face. "I see," she replied. "My daughter and I once owned stately property in castle town. We never visited those woods." She crinkled her nose. "Anyway, you have our gratitude for returning Jessica's necklace to her. It's quite valuable. We would have been devastated to lose such a treasure."

"It was no problem," Link replied.

"It's nice to see that someone is _finally_ doing something useful in this town," she continued. "Don't you agree, Jessica?"

Jessica wasn't paying much attention—she was too busy staring at Link. "Y-yes, Mummy," she mumbled, flushing pink.

The girl's mother did not look very pleased."Say, do you travel much?" she asked Link. "You look as though you do not spend time in one place very long. Do you plan to stay in Kakariko?"

Link shook his head and a small, relieved smile immediately jumped onto her face. "What a shame! Where will you go?"

His features became serious. "I'm trying to find Princess Zelda."

Mamamu Yan's mouth formed a surprised 'o' while her daughter's expression soured. "How intriguing," Mamamu Yan remarked. "Why would you try to do that?"

"The boy says they were good friends when they were children," Maine cut in. "He wants to find her, wherever she is, and put her back on the throne. Isn't that right?"

Zelda quietly cleaned her dishes as Link responded in the affirmative. Mamamu Yan gasped somewhat dramatically. "That is quite the mission," she huffed. Zelda peeked over her shoulder to see the woman fanning herself with an air of false interest. "Good luck."

Link nodded, gaze falling from her form to the table.

All of a sudden, the boy's gaze snapped up to Zelda. She flinched, having been caught watching him, and knocked over her empty glass. It clattered harmlessly onto the table.

Mamamu Yan's eyes flew to the kitchen. Her upper lip stiffened. "Zara!"

Zelda dropped the cup a second time.

Everyone's gaze centered on her as Mamamu Yan started in a loud, condescending tone. "Where have you been? Not once have I seen you since this morning! You run around with your head in the clouds and expect me to tolerate your uselessness!? Go clean the house—immediately!"

She pointed at the door. For a second, Zelda's chest ballooned with indignation. _You gave me the day off!_

Mamamu Yan narrowed her eyes and Zelda forced herself to cool her emotions. She was a mute maid. She was to accept the whims of those around her—her disguise and her life depended on it. Aside from that, being mute often rendered her defenseless. Unfair as it was, she had no other choice but to obey.

"Now hold on," Maine interrupted, crossing her arms. "You can't boss my niece around like that!"

Mamamu Yan looked at Maine icily. "I hired her to tend for my house. If she refuses to do her job, then I refuse to pay her a single rupee!"

Zelda shook her head pleadingly, gathering a handful of cleaning supplies and rushing toward the door. Maine knew of the girl's struggle to earn money. Fortunately for Zelda, her caretaker managed to bite her tongue.

"Be quick," Mamamu Yan harrumphed as Zelda passed by. Zelda dipped her head. She could feel the eyes of every person in the room on her as she grasped the handle of the door and lugged it open.

She marched into the evening air.

* * *

Mamamu Yan and Jessica didn't arrive for over an hour, so Zelda had plenty of time to gut the shack. How could two people living in a hut make such an atrocious mess in spite of her daily, rigorous cleaning? She muttered obscenities under her breath. Luckily, Zelda's book of magic had some cleaning spells.

When the two of them finally made the trek home, they were gossiping so loudly Zelda could hear them from the moment they stepped onto the street. Mamamu Yan's voice's rose loud and clear to the treetops.

"I don't like that boy."

"But Mummy," Jessica retorted. "He saved my necklace!"

"Yes, but I don't want you talking to him from now on."

"What?" she pouted. "Why not?"

Her mother huffed. "Darling, we're pursuing _Lords_ , not country bumpkins. That boy looked like he'd been sleeping on the ground! I'm all too grateful he's leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Jessica's sounded whiny. "Why tomorrow?"

"You were standing right before him when he explained it, were you not?" The elder woman muttered in exasperation. "How many times must I tell you? Pay closer attention, Jessica!"

"I want to see him before he goes!"

Mamamu Yan harrumphed. "Most certainly not!"

"But _Mother_!"

"Hush! You'll make a scene!"

"Let me see him before he goes on the mountain!"

"You're ridiculous." Mamamu Yan lowered her voice. "He's poorer than dirt. Is that how you want to end up? Dirty and broke? Working for a living?"

Jessica fell silent. Several seconds passed before her mother continued, "If you fill your head will silly fantasies about a silly boy, that is the way things will be. I suggest you drop the idea." She paused, then chuckled to herself. "This boy is obsessed with finding the long lost princess, anyway. I daresay he must be in love with her. What a fool! Royalty would never stoop so low as to marry someone of his status. Not that it matters. He'll die long before he finds her. I can't believe he has the audacity to climb the mountain by himself. Lord Charles will be arriving with half an army any day now to see what is going on up there."

Zelda whispered a final spell to disperse the layer of grime on the floor, packing up her supplies and lifting her hood over her head. They were nearing the woods where the refugee camp was nestled. Jessica's voice came softly, almost too soft to hear.

"What if he finds her, Mummy? What if Link finds Princess Zelda?" Her voice dropped a pitch. "Lord Charles will have no interest in me anymore."

Her mother made another incredulous huffing sound, but did not reply. Zelda made her way to the door, pushing it open just as the two women arrived on the doorstep.

For a moment, Mamamu Yan stared at the maid. Zelda worried for a moment she would assign something else to clean. Her employer sniffed, peering into the shack.

"Hmph."

She stepped around Zelda into their excuse of a house, followed by an anxious-looking Jessica. Zelda exhaled in relief. She hurried into the night, closing the door behind them.

Mamamu Yan and Jessica's gossip continued to reach her ears as she flew away from them. Zelda tuned it out. She was tired of hearing what they had to say. They had no right—whatsoever—to regard Link so harshly. How could they comment on his social status and unkempt appearance when they were poor as dirt themselves? Zelda felt irked as she descended into the graveyard. _All Link ever does is try to help those who around him._ They were undeserving the goodness in his heart.

Night had fallen in the marketplace and nearly everyone had returned to their homes. The faint music of crickets and rustle of the breeze replaced the bustling sounds of the day. Zelda yawned, stretching her heavy arms. There would be no Sheikah patrolling tonight.

The cottage creaked as Zelda pushed open the door, pleasantly surprised to be greeted with silence. The little house was still, save the rhythmic breathing of villagers asleep in their cots. Maine was cooling the stove's fire.

Zelda shut the door as quietly as she could, removing her hood and her scarf and the rags she had borrowed. Maine offered her a small smile. She looked weary as well.

"Good to see you're back," she whispered, retiring her apron. "The house is full tonight. I barely kept your cot open."

Zelda pointed to Maine's bed, where Talon lay snoring. Maine glanced at him. "The ranch man? Yes, he's still sleeping."

Zelda crossed her arms with a frown. She pointed at Maine and pointed at her own cot. Pressing a hand to her chest, she pointed at the floor.

It was nice to have someone in the village who could understand her though she could not speak. "You want to sleep on the floor?" Maine asked. "It's awfully uncomfortable, dear."

Zelda nodded, then pointed from Maine to the cot again. The woman chuckled. "I already have a bed, child. You can sleep in yours."

 _What? There's an extra bed?_ Maine smiled at the floor and Zelda followed her gaze. Link lay on a swath of blankets beside the wall. Navi was curled up on his hat, which was next to his head. Both of them were dead asleep.

"I offered him one, but he didn't take it." Maine looked at the boy with admiration. "He's a sweet one. Must'a come straight from the goddesses, that boy."

Zelda watched him for a moment, agreeing silently.

Maine finished putting things away while Zelda crept to her bed. She climbed onto it as quietly as possible, grimacing at every shudder it made. She glanced at Link for stirring movements. He made none. It was strange, seeing him so calm and quiet. He almost looked like a ten year old again in the muted darkness.

Zelda settled in her cot, drawing her blanket over herself and contemplating the black underbelly of the bunk above her. Her mind was whirring, but her body was bone-tired. The day had been long. So many things had happened in such a short space of time. She glanced down where old friend slept and yawned. There was much she had to think about…to do…

The girl's eyelids sagged and she, too, succumbed to the world of dreams.

* * *

 **NOTES**

Sorry for the long wait.

I changed the names of two characters: Chester and Lester are instead Chim and Lim. They're only mentioned like...once, I think, a couple chapters back. Trying to make them less Americanized. ._.

I also changed my username to make it more consistent with my other online profiles, like deviantart.

Guess what, I drew pretty pretty pictures:

Navi:  cruelcomplex/art/Navi-733184836

Sheik:  cruelcomplex/art/Sheik-2018-739073971

Dark Link:  cruelcomplex/art/Dark-Link-709671086

I don't have the energy to post a link to every pic, but yeah, there's more. I drew Charles once. That was fun.


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